The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, LSACA, has revealed that about 72,000 adolescents are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus,...
The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, LSACA, has revealed that about
72,000 adolescents are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV,
in the state.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ Forum on Adolescents Living with
HIV in Lagos to mark this year’s World AIDS Day with the theme: “Hands Up for HIV Prevention”,
the Chief Executive Officer of LSACA, Dr Oluseyi Temowo on Wednesday
urged stakeholders to come together and fight the epidemic with a view
to saving the country’s future leaders.
Statistics from LSACA showing the the top 10 states with highest
HIV/AIDS prevalence in Nigeria, revealed that Rivers state is the
highest with 15.2 percent while Ondo state is the lowest among the 10 is
Ondo with 4.3 percent.
‘’HIV occurs in all ages, hence the need to urgently tackle the transmission in adolescent.
“Achieving AIDS free generation requires collective efforts,
this is why we are calling on government at all levels, individuals and
organisations to join us in this quest to make Lagos State HIV Free.’’ Temowo said.
He revealed the State government's commitment in ensuring that 90
percent of those affected were on treatment and had low viral load by
2030.
Temowo said that the 616,318 that attended the HIV Counselling and
Testing (HCT) awareness programme from January to June, 2016, no fewer
than 9,579 people tested positive to HIV.
Also speaking, wife of the Lagos State Government, Mrs. Bolanle
Ambode urged all stakeholders to double efforts to see that the virus is
curtailed.
Speaking, the Programme Manager, Positive Action for Treatment
Access, PATA , Mr. Francis Umoh, said the 2014 UNICEF report showed that
estimated 196,000 Nigerian adolescents were living with HIVn while
11,000 died of AIDS related cases in 2013, out of estimated adolescent
population of 38,882,000.
“This is also observed in orphanages/homes as they do not admit adolescents living with HIV,” he said.
Also speaking, the Representative of United Nations AIDS Control
Agency, UNAIDS, Dr. Asa said HIV should be everyone’s business because
everyone’s life was at stake.
“It is no longer a death sentence but a life sentence because
many of these children got infected through their parents. It is
possible to break the transmission and once that is done everyone will
be safe. Countries like Cuba have done it and it is time to ensure that
all children starts their lives free from HIV so that everyone stays
AIDS free,” she said.
