HIV: Ogun prevalence is 1.6% higher than the national average of 1.4% – NACA

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) on Wednesday lamented that Ogun State, despite efforts to reduce the spread of HIV, had a higher prevalence of 1.6% compared to the national average of 1.4%.

The Managing Director of the agency, Ms. Temitope Ilori, stated this during an advocacy visit to Ogun State focused on creating an AIDS-free generation and building a sustainable HIV response.

Ilori, represented by the agency’s Director of Community Prevention and Care Services, James Anenih, and other team members, was received by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker, and other relevant health stakeholders in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, on Wednesday.

He emphasized that despite the progress made in Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT), Nigeria still faces a formidable challenge in preventing transmission, with pediatric HIV coverage still falling short of the 95% target of 33%.

According to him, the UNAIDS 2023 report shows that approximately 140,000 children aged 0-14 are living with HIV, with 22,000 new infections and 15,000 AIDS-related deaths occurring every year.

Ilori, while expressing gratitude to the state government for providing anti-retroviral treatment at selected health facilities, stressed the need for additional efforts to ensure that no child is born with HIV in Ogun.

He said: “While acknowledging the wonderful work done by your Excellency in upgrading and equipping selected health facilities to provide anti-retroviral therapy (ART) from 22 facilities in 2019 to 28 facilities in 2023 as well as in launching the One Stop Service and Ogun East and Ogun Considering Community ART (CART) in the West, Ogun State’s HIV prevalence is lower than the national average of 1.4% and the South West average “It is imperative to note that it is 1.2% higher. There is an urgent need to stop and reverse the state’s prevalence from its current level of 1.6 percent.”

The director assured that the federal government is actively working to create the right environment to achieve the goal of ending AIDS as a public health problem by 2030.

Ilori, however, urged all stakeholders to partner with the institution by creating a comprehensive list of children with HIV, stating that this is crucial to accelerate the country’s pediatric ART programme.

In response, State Health Commissioner Tomi Coker acknowledged that HIV prevalence in the state is critical and praised NACA for visiting and inaugurating the 18-person PMTCT and Pediatric ART Committee.

He explained that the committee would oversee the care of HIV-positive pregnant women to ensure they do not have enough of the virus to pass on to their unborn children, and would treat children who are positive to prevent spread.

The commissioner said: “In particular, we have now found that more children are being born with HIV. We want to catch them to reduce mother-to-child transmission and hope there can be an HIV-free generation by 2030.

“We would monitor the treatment of pregnant women to make sure they were virally suppressed and did not have enough virus to pass it on to their children.

“We will also test the children of individuals we know to be HIV positive, identify them as soon as possible and put them on treatment.”