From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Osun State government, yesterday, disclosed 33,882 people are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the state.
Commissioner for Health, Jola Akintola, who disclosed this during the 2024 World AIDS Day, in Osogbo, said 151,876 people have been tested out of which about 1,307 are positive, including 41 pregnant women.
He said: “As at July 2024, over 151,876 patients have been tested in Osun State. About 1,307 tested positive have been put on treatment. About 18,493 pregnant women were tested and 41 were positive and they have been put on treatment.
“Osun has about 22 sites offering comprehensive HIV services where people get tested and receive medicine. We have an estimated number of 33,882 people living with HIV in the state. We have been able to have continuous bi-monthly HIV steering committee meetings.”
Akintola disclosed the state government, in collaboration with implementing partners, has registered over 300 people living with HIV/AIDS in the state health insurance scheme free of charge, assuring efforts are on to ensure the state continues with the management of people living with HIV after the exit of development partners in 2030. Wife of the governor, Ngozi Adeleke, appealed to the people to join hands with her husband to ensure eradication of HIV/AIDS in the state, promising to support the fight against the syndrome.
She lamented the stigma against people living with HIV/AIDS, and called on the people to stop discriminating and accommodate all positive patience to enable them to live longer. Earlier, Executive Secretary of Osun State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Olusegun Daramola, said the theme of the celebration, “Take the Right Path,” was to remind people of collective responsibility to uphold human rights in the response to HIV/AIDS.
He commended Governor Ademola Adeleke for his commitment towards bringing health closer to the people and kicking AIDS out of the state.