Caritas Nigeria, the humanitarian arm of Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, says it has aligned itself with the Federal Government and U.S. Centres for Disease Control (CDC) to give HIV and Tuberculosis interventions and counselling services to more than 37,000 Nigerians.
Caritas Nigeria Executive Secretary, Rev. Fr. Peter Babangida Audu, stated this on Thursday during the symposium to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the organisation. Caricas, he said, has directly benefited the lives of over 18 million people through 117 humanitarian and development interventions in all 36 states.
“We have spearheaded the building of a stronger Nigerian health system. We have, in partnership with the government, the CDC, and other partners, invested in a healthier future for millions of Nigerians over the years,” Audu said.
He related the story of Grace, a young woman from a remote village whose undernourished infant was made well after treatment at a Caritas-sponsored center. “Behind every statistic is a face, a family, and a future,” he said.
Audu cautioned, however, that decreased donor funding was the challenge and offered a strategy of sustainability through private sector involvement, institutional capacity development to increase transparency, and community empowerment. “Sustainability is not dependency but preparing people to thrive once our interventions are gone,” he insisted.
Board chairman, Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, commended the agency for fulfilling its mandate. “Every time the Bishops’ Conference hears your work narrated, we are proud this agency is carrying on the work of Jesus, giving life to its fullness to peripheral communities,” he said.
Nigeria General Secretary of the Catholic Secretariat, Rev. Fr. Micheal Banjo, referred to Caritas Nigeria as “a living example of caritas love and charity responding to humanitarian needs across the country.”.
