World Tuberculosis Day 2025: Yes! We Can End TB.

March 24th marks World Tuberculosis Day, it is set aside to raise a global awareness about the devastating impact of tuberculosis (TB) and the need to end this disease through effective prevention and treatment. TB is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which primarily affects the lungs but can also spread to other parts of the body.

The theme for this year is “We can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver” calls for global collaboration, strategic investment, high quality care, urgency and accountability in the fight against TB.

Our project which provides Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)/Harm reduction services to Women Who Use/Inject Drug (WWUID) recognizes the need to address TB as a co infection of HIV among drug users.

Women Who Use and Inject Drugs (WWUID) are vulnerable to TB due to;

  • Smoking
  • High Alcohol consumption
  • Poor living conditions
  • Malnutrition.

These lifestyles weaken their immune system and puts them at risk to contacting TB. And their fear of stigma and discrimination makes them unable to access healthcare services.

MIHRE bridges this gap by referring WWUID for free access to TB test so as to detect TB early enough and have it treated.

As we commemorate World Tuberculosis Day 2025, we call for more collaboration and commitment globally to ending TB, particularly for vulnerable populations like WWUID.

#WeCanEndTB #WorldTuberculosisDay #HeartlandAlliance #ViiVHealthcare

World TB Day 2025: Yes! We Can End TB.

 

Every March 8, the world comes together to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD). A day to recognize the achievements, strength, and resilience of women everywhere. This year’s theme, “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” speaks directly to the heart of our work at Milestone Initiative for Human Rights and Empowerment (MIHRE).

We see this strength daily in the women we work with Women Who Use and Inject Drugs (WWUID) in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, and Africa. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends. They are survivors. Despite facing stigma, discrimination, and violence, they continue to rise, pushing forward with determination and courage.

These women are more than their struggles, they are leaders of their own lives and powerful agents of change. When given the opportunity, they reclaim their dignity, make informed choices, and build better futures for themselves and their communities. Their stories inspire us to keep advocating for a world where every woman and girl, regardless of her circumstances has the right to safety, health, and empowerment.

As a society, we must recognize and support the unseen resilience of these women. We must ensure that their voices are heard, their rights are protected, and their futures are filled with opportunities not obstacles. Every woman matters. Every girl deserves to thrive.

This IWD, lets commit to accelerating action so that ALL women and girls can live free from fear, full of hope, and with the power to shape their own lives.

 

#IWD2025 #AccelerateAction #HeartlandAlliance #ViiVHealthcare

Rights, Equality, & Empowerment for All Women and Girls

Today, we celebrate three years of resilience, impact, and unwavering dedication to advancing the rights and health of Women Who Use and Inject Drugs (WWUID). From humble beginnings to an established force for change, we are deeply grateful for how far we’ve come.

Over the past two years, through the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Harm Reduction Empowerment for WWUID project made possible by ViiV Healthcare Positive Action through Heartland Alliance Limited by Guarantee (HALG), we have achieved remarkable milestones in Akwa Ibom State.

Through our interventions, MIHRE has provided life-changing services to WWUID, including:

• Sexual and Reproductive Health & Harm Reduction support

• HIV Testing Services (HTS), PrEP, PEP, STI treatment

• X-rays, Cervical Cancer Screening (CCS)

• Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) commodities

• Legal aid, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), GBV response

• Family planning services through referrals to Primary Health Centres

Beyond direct service provision, we have fostered strategic collaborations with key stakeholders across Akwa Ibom State, strengthening program interventions and creating platforms for knowledge exchange and best practices.

Our passion for this work remains stronger than ever, and we look forward to expanding our impact and reaching more women in need. Cheers to more years of growth, empowerment, and transformative change!

 

#MIHRE@3  #ViiVHealthcare  #HeartlandAlliance

Celebrating 3 Years Impact on the Health of WWUID

World Health Day 2025: Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.

Bringing a new life into this world is always a moment of Joy but that wasn’t the case of a random female drug user who had just lost her baby during self-delivery with little strength in her. Looking at the lifeless child with tears in her eyes, she remembered her struggles to access quality healthcare during her pregnancy, the stigma and shame due to lack of social support, her inability to access prenatal care due to financial constraint, her only hope of happiness has just been lost, because of the intense pains and the loss of blood she had experience during the delivery she breath her last.

This is just one of the unseen challenges of vulnerable women during pregnancy and childbirth who have no access to quality healthcare services.

World Health Day 2025, with the theme “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,” emphasizes the need to prioritize women’s long-term health and end preventable deaths.

Every day, thousands of women and babies die around the globe from preventable causes, simply because they lack access to quality healthcare.

Through the tailored support and interventions provided by the Sexual and reproductive health and harm reduction project for WWUID Funded by ViiV Healthcare Positive Action project through Heartland Alliance Ltd/Gte., we have overtime seen the vulnerability and complex realities faced by these women in remote communities where they are mostly found, which has resulted to unplanned pregnancies resulting from rape, domestic violence, selling sex in exchange for drugs and intoxication which in turn leads to high risk of maternal and newborn health complications among WWUID in our communities.

We advocate for swift action to be taken regarding limited health care services to women and newborns regardless of their lifestyle or location. We must support healthcare workers, invest in community-based care, and promote healthy lifestyles.

Together, we can make a difference and ensure healthy beginnings and hopeful futures for all.

#HeartlandAlliance  #ViivHealthcare

World Health Day 2025: Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.

STEPPING UP THE PACE: UNITING AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

As we observe this year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), MIHRE stands firm in its advocacy against this harmful practice. FGM is a fundamental violation of women’s rights and a serious threat to their health, affecting both the physical and emotional well-being of girls and women.

This years theme, “Stepping Up the Pace: Strengthening Alliances and Building Movements to End FGM,” underscores the urgent need for collaboration in eliminating this deeply rooted practice.

At MIHRE, we are committed to advancing women’s health and rights. We recognize FGM as a harmful cultural practice that demands immediate action. That’s why we are intensifying our efforts to raise awareness, mobilize communities, and push for policy reforms that challenge harmful traditions.

Through advocacy and awareness programs, we are working towards:

• Community Education: We organize workshops, seminars, and outreach programs to debunk myths about FGM and highlight its long-term physical, psychological, and social consequences.

• Policy Advocacy & Alliances: We engage policymakers, community elders, religious leaders, and other stakeholders to push for stronger laws that criminalize FGM and protect vulnerable girls. Collaboration with local and international organizations helps us shift social norms and build a culture of zero tolerance.

• Empowering Survivors: We support survivors of FGM by providing skills training, economic opportunities, medical care, psychological support, and legal assistance. Empowering these women helps them reclaim their autonomy and advocate for change in their communities.

Your Voice Matters!

Even if you don’t practice FGM, your voice is powerful. Ending Female Genital Mutilation is not just the responsibility of survivors or those directly affected. It is a fight for human rights, dignity, and equality. Every action, no matter how small, contributes to the movement for change.

Speak Up: Break the silence. Talk about FGM in your communities, workplaces, and online spaces. Challenge harmful cultural narratives and spread awareness about the devastating impact FGM has on womens health and well-being.

Educate: Knowledge is power. Share information with your friends, family, and networks. Attend or organize awareness sessions, community dialogues, and educational programs that highlight the dangers of FGM.

Advocate: Demand action from policymakers and leaders. Support laws and policies that protect girls from FGM, and push for stricter enforcement where necessary. Sign petitions, join campaigns, and partner with organizations working to end FGM.

Support Survivors: Many women and girls who have undergone FGM suffer in silence. Stand with them by promoting access to medical care, mental health support, legal assistance, and economic empowerment opportunities. Your solidarity can help them heal and reclaim their lives.

Take Action Today!

Together, we can step up the pace and build a future where every woman and girl live free from violence against her body. The time to act is now!

#EndFGM #ZeroTolerance #WomenRights #HealthForAll  #HeartlandAlliance  #ViiVHealthcare

Stepping Up the Pace: Zero Tolerance for FGM

Milestone Initiative for Human Rights and Empowerment on the 26th of July 2024 at Uyo OSS collaborated with HALG to commemorate the World Hepatitis Day by staging a road walk with WWUID, after which the participants were educated on the ills of Hepatitis as it affects drug users.

World Hepatitis Day 2024