The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker, has said about 30,350 individuals are receiving HIV treatment in the state, with two per cent of the population being children.
The commissioner stated this on Monday during a press conference held at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, in commemoration of World AIDS Day.
She noted that the programme themed “Take the Right Path: Sustain HIV Response, Stop HIV among Children in Ogun State, Nigeria,” emphasises the urgent need to focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission and ensuring that children living with HIV had access to the care and treatment they needed.
According to the commissioner, there was a need for broad support and encouragement of healthy behaviours, including using condoms and making sure that testing services were accessible.
She said: “Achieving our goals requires sustaining the momentum of our HIV response. A comprehensive approach involving prevention, testing, treatment, and support services is critical.
“Prevention efforts must include widespread education, the promotion of safe practices such as condom use, and ensuring access to testing services.”
Coker emphasised that by doing prompt testing, the ministry can detect cases early and link the individuals to antiretroviral medication, ART, which not only improves their health but also prevents further transmission.
She pointed out that under Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration, the state has made enormous progress against HIV and trained all relevant health stakeholders on testing services and linkages.
“With a prevalence rate of 1.6 per cent (2018), we are steadily progressing towards achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets—where 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their status; 95 per cent of those diagnosed are on treatment; and 95 per cent of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression. Currently, Ogun State stands at 95 per cent, 76 per cent, and 83 per cent across the three targets.
“Key initiatives driving this progress include the creation of the Ogun State Alternate Medicine Board to support PMTCT efforts in our communities. The training of traditional birth attendants, TBAs, and community-based organisations, CBOs, on HIV testing services and linkages. The engagement of 150 mentor mothers across our 20 LGAs to provide peer support and encourage adherence, among others,” she said.
She expressed confidence that the state, with its continuous effort, will meet the goal of eradicating HIV by 2030.
Over 30,000 Ogun residents receive HIV treatment — Health Commissioner Coker