Lagos State is said to be impressively emerging out of HIV/AIDS epidemic with a drop in cases of infected persons.
According to the CEO of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), Dr Oluseyi Temowo, there is about 217, 658 positive people in the state, and about 64, 554 are on Anti-retroviral (ARV).
Temowo stated this while highlighting activities the state is embarking on to observe this year’s World AIDS Day on First of December, with the theme- ‘Right to Health- Making it happen.’
He said going by the records compiled between January and June this year at outreaches and in communities, “we know that there is a dropping of 1.7 percent.”
“For the screening done among communities the prevalence rate is 0.3 percent, whereby 576, 406 were screened at different health facilities and 29, 010 were screened at communities. The figure on positive expectant mothers at antenatal in 2014 is four percent but now, we have 1.4 percent,” said Dr Temowo.
Dr Temowo said the state is planning to commence the screening for HIV of people living with disabilities living in the state starting with the deaf and the blind soon across the state.
“These set of people were neglected before but the decision to enlist them is to ensure nobody is left behind in ensuring that the state captured everybody for an HIV/AIDS state,” said Temowo.
Dr Temowo encouraged non governmental organisations interested in further collaboration with the state on HIV/AIDS to focus on villages, communities and rural areas, “because we need to get them all screened and captured so as to achieve the set target of the eradication of the virus by year 2030 in lagos State using the 90-90-90 initiative.”
” That is 90 percent of the people living with HIV know their status, 90 percent of people who know their status are accessing anti-retroviral treatment, and 90 percent of people on anti- retoviral have suppressed viral load.”
The agency plans to stage a campaign- ‘Walk for HIV’ on World AIDS Day at Ipodo Market in Ikeja and walk through Obafemi Awolowo way, to Allen roundabout, and end it at the office of the Iya-Loja General, Mrs Folasade Tinubu-Ojo.
Dr Temowo said the agency will conduct HIV testing and screening in some markets at Ikorodu and Epe divisions simultaneously, including some parts of Ikeja and Alimosho Divisions.
“The market HIV intervention will continue after the World AIDS Day on the First of December. “We will target all and sundry in the market like beggars because it is an all inclusive thing to achieve 90:90:90,” said Dr Temowo.
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