Too Much? – Commissioner Reveals Number Of People Living With HIV/AIDS In Ogun

Too Much? – Commissioner Reveals Number Of People Living With HIV/AIDS In Ogun

Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, shared on Tuesday that an estimated 46,143 individuals are living with HIV/AIDS in the state.

Out of this population, 33,489 people have been identified and are currently undergoing sustained treatment.

However, there are still 12,654 individuals who are yet to be reached, spread across various communities in the state.

Dr. Coker provided these details during a press briefing held to discuss the activities planned for the 2023 World AIDS Day in Abeokuta, the state capital.

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Between the years 2020 and 2023, a total of 782,005 people were tested, with 21,083 testing positive for HIV/AIDS in Ogun State. The state’s prevalence rate stands at 1.6%, and among those who tested positive, 12,654 individuals do not have access to Anti-Retroviral Therapy.

Dr. Coker emphasized the state’s significant efforts aimed at rapidly achieving HIV treatment saturation and meeting the UNAIDS 95-95-95 2030 goal, which aims for zero HIV infections. As part of these efforts, the state has established 400 testing centers across its 20 Local Government Areas to enhance testing capacity.

The theme for the 2023 World AIDS Day celebration in Ogun State is “Communities: Leadership To End AIDS by 2030.” Dr. Coker highlighted the state’s commitment to addressing the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS and ensuring comprehensive healthcare services for affected individuals.

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“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.

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