By Sola Ogundipe

As the spectre of the HIV & AIDS epidemic in Oyo State is declining, the State government and other partners and stakeholders have been called upon to further build upon past and on-going efforts of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the Global Fund geared towards reducing the impact of the epidemic in the state.

Activities at NACA/Global Fund sites at the State Hospital, Oyo in Oyo East Local Government Area and the State Hospital in Saki West Local Government Area are enabling people in the area to cope with the national response and delivery of HIV care and services at the community level.

Cross section of attendees at the HCT clinic in the State Hospital, Oyo, Oyo State.

Attendees of the HIV treatment sites at the “heart-to-heart” centres in Oyo and Saki who are urging the state government not to relent in strenghtening the capacity and technical base of the 10 existing HIV treatment sites in the state.

In a chat with Good Health Weekly, they lauded efforts by NACA and the Global partners in ensuring availability and accessibility of comprehensive HIV care and support services at the grassroots.

They, however, called on the state government through the Oyo State AIDS Control Agency (SACA) to expedite action in ensuring that they (beneficiaries) are not short-changed as a result of the winding down of activities of some of the global partners in HIV care and support in the state.

“NACA, the Global Fund and their partners are actively tackling HIV & AIDS in Oyo State,” an attendee at the HIV treatment site at the State Hospital, Oyo, remarked.

“I can tell you that in this site and others in the state, their contributions have alleviated the challenge of travelling to other sites in distant towns to access HIV care and support services. It has, in the process, saved many lives, as with the availability of the care and support services, people living with HIV are now contributing to their society because they are catered for.”

Data of service delivery at the ART unit of the State Hospital, Oyo, shows that out of a total of 1,437 enrolled on the programme between March 2008 and July 2011. Over the same period, 10,477 individuals were counselled and tested from which 1,077 tested positive. Under the institution’s Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) initiative, 8,458 pregnant women were counselled, tested, from which 256 tested HIV positive while 247 received prophylasis .

At the State Hospital, Saki, the Principal Medical Officer, Dr Kayode Ogunkunle, told Good Health Weekly that the HIV care unit in the hospital had been up to the task of adequately providing comprehensive care and support activities to assist people living with HIV in the town and environs in the last three years.

Ogunkunle, who lauded contributions and support of the global partners, however pleaded with the State government to increase the numerical strength and cadre of medical personnel at the health institution.

He said the Saki HIV care unit attends to an average of 150-180 patients weekly. most of who seek services for PMTCT, Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) prophylaxis a nd treatment of Opportunistic Infections (OIs).

According to Mr Kayode Bolarinwa, Director, Programme Services Oyo State SACA, the HIV prevalence rate for the state is currently below 3.0 percent and presently about 150-160,000 persons are HIV positive.

“When there were funds, there were about 41 NGOs funded to carry out activities on the field, and the prevalence nose-dived from 3.8 percent t0 1.8 percent between 2004 and 2007. But as soon as funds stopped, the rate began to rise again.”

He said they were awaiting funds from MAP 2, and were currently working with the global partners to deliver services and close the gaps within service provision.

Oyo State SACA Project Manager, Mr Muritala Ayansiji Ganiyu said there was continuous intensifcation on the process of care and support for persons living with HIV & AIDS in the state. “One of the areas of focus is the economic empowerment of those affected particularly those not engagedin any vocation. We want to produce laudable results.