By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.
The Ogun State Government reported that the state has made significant progress in its efforts to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the state.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, made the remark on Tuesday during her keynote address at the 2025 World AIDS Day celebration themed “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response,” which took place at the Olusegun Osoba Press Centre in 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 revealed that 96 percent of those tested in the state now know their HIV status, and she noted a substantial expansion in the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme, leading to 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 the 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, promoting 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, decline in global funding for HIV programmes 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 prevalence 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 funds and non-availability not donors as some of the issues affecting the fight against the scourge.
Dr. Kayode Oladeinde, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, said the celebration aimed to raise awareness about effectively tackling the issue. He urged that the HIV response be internalized, institutionalized, and localized, instead of relying on external assistance.
