Over 46,000 living with HIV/AIDS in Ogun, says commissioner

Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, on Tuesday disclosed that 46, 143 people were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in the state out of which 33, 489 had been identified and placed on sustained treatment

Coker said  12, 654 are yet to be reached and they form the individuals living across the communities in the state.

The commissioner disclosed this while briefing journalists on the activities lined up to mark the year 2023 World AIDS Day in Abeokuta, the state capital.

According to Coker, out of a total of 782,005 people tested between year 2020 and 2023, 21,083 tested positive for HIV/AIDS.

She added that the state has a prevalence rate of 1.6 per cent while 12,654 HIV positive persons have no access to Anti-Retroviral Therapy.

Coker said the state has been making significant efforts to rapidly achieve HIV treatment saturation and meet the UNIADs 95-95-95 2030 goal of zero HIV infection.

Speaking on the theme of the 2023 World AIDS Day celebration: “Communities: Leadership To End AIDS by 2030”, Coker said the state has established 400 testing centres across the 20 Local government areas of the state to increase the state’s testing capacity.

“Sadly, in Ogun State, 46,143 persons are estimated to be living with HIV while 33,489 of them have been identified and placed on sustained treatment.

“However, 12,654 are yet to be reached. These individuals are spread within the communities. Hence the need for our communities to now take the lead in our response to ending HIV.

“Our communities are pivotal to any successful response to HIV/AIDS because they are well-positioned to address both the social and cultural factors that contribute to HIV transmission.

“Our health facilities currently providing HIV services have been increased from 198 in 2019 to 497 as of November 2023.

“About 300 communities’ testers have been engaged and spread across the communities within the 20 LGAs for HIV case finding while our comprehensive treatment centres have been increased from 22 to 43”, Coker said.

The Executive Secretary of Ogun State Action Committee of HIV/AIDS, Dr Kehinde Fatungase said, the state had set up HIV test centres in some tertiary institutions across the state for testing and counselling of students.

Fatungase urged the people, especially the youths to get tested and know their status so as to prevent the spread of the virus.