We’ve Made Progress In Curbing HIV, AIDS, Ogun Health Commissioner

Ogun State Government has said that the State has recorded significant improvement in its efforts at reducing the prevalent of HIV and AIDS in the State.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker stated this on Tuesday when she delivered a keynote address to mark the 2025 World AIDS Day Celebration with the theme, “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response”, held at the Olusegun Osoba Press Centre, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

According to the Health Commissioner, over 30,000 people are currently receiving free anti retroviral therapy in health facilities, while HIV testing and counseling services have been made available in the 20 Local Government Areas of the State this bringing care closer to our people.

Dr. Coker also disclosed that 96 percent of the people tested for HIV infection in the state know their HIV status, just as there is significant expansion on prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme, resulting into more mothers giving birth to HIV free children.

“We have strengthened our response and improved access to life-saving services”, she explained.

“Today, in Ogun state 96% of people living with HIV know their status, while 78% on treatment. Over 30,000 people in Ogun State are receiving free antiretroviral therapy in our health facilities. We hope to achieve UNAIDS target of 95:95:95 by the year 2030.

“At the just concluded National Council on Health the age for HIV voluntary testing was deliberated on to be moved down to 14 years which speaks directly to us in Ogun state being the tertiary institution hub of Nigeria. Ogun State, the Commissioner maintained has continued to record meaningful progress through the unwavering commitment of OGSACA, implementing partners and dedicated health workers across the State.”

She said the State is working towards eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2030, strengthening health systems and data-driven decision-making, romoting community-led and community-owned responses and ensuring sustainability through domestic resource mobilisation.

While recognizing the occurrence of new infections, Dr. Coker described stigma as a barrier to care, declining of global funding for HIV programme and service disruptions a the real threat, especially for the vulnerable population.

She said the State has developed a two year strategic plan (2025-2027) based on eliminating mother- to- child transmission of HIV by 2030, strengthening health systems and data- driven decision-making, promoting community led and community owned response as well as ensuring sustainability through domestic resources mobilization just as it would sustain universal access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment.

She called on all hands to be on the deck to reduce the prevalent of HIV and AIDS to the barest minimum in the State.

Speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Rotimi Ogungbe, noted the need to strengthen advocacy, analyse the progress made, the challenges and how to surmount them, describing lack of fund and non availability not donors as some the issue affecting the fight against the scourge.

The permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Kayode Oladeinde, said the celebration was to create awareness on how to effectively curb the menace, calling for the internalization, institutionalization and localisation of response rather than depending on others for help.