….217,658 living with virus, 64,554 on ARV treatment

By Sola Ogundipe

An estimated  total of 866, 416 persons were screened for HIV by the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, LSACA, between January and June 2017, even as there are 217,658 People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLA) in the State are on ARV.

AIDS SYMBOL

Disclosing this last week, the  Chief Executive Officer, LSACA, Dr. Oluseyi Temowo, said  64,554 or about 30 percent of persons living with the virus in the State are on Antiretroviral, ARV, treatment.

Temowo, who spoke about plans of the Agency in preparation for the 2017 World AIDS Day activities, said there were arrangements to screen members of the disabled community such as the blind and deaf.

“Annually we carry out screenings and for  January-June 2017, the total number of persons screened and  given  their results is about 576,406 at the health facilities, while  290,010, were screened at the communities.

He said the number of pregnant women tested and counselled during the period in question  totalled  52, 839 out of which 779 (1.4 percent) tested HIV positive.

“The HIV prevalence rate  at the  facility level in the State is dropping as a result of our interventions, and as we have seen, the positive yield is about 1.4 percent.

“We have done  screening at  the facility level before going to the  community or rural areas. The yield in the community is lower at about 0.3 per cent. That means Lagos is coming out of the disease burden really.

“In the community, these are people that normally do not access free health facilities because most of them patronise TBAs, so it is necessary to test them because the source of the infection that we are seeing in the urban center, may be from the village. We want to ensure that we do proper testing there irrespective of the yield that we are getting. We must test everybody

As part of activities of the 2017 WAD, Temowo said plans are on to carry out a “Walk for HIV’ campaign at Ipodo Market, Ikeja through Obafemi Awolowo Way to Allen Roundabout to terminate at the Iya-Oloja General Office, Mrs Tinubu Ojo. Free HIV screenings will be conducted in markets at Ikorodu and Epe divisions simultaneously including parts of Ikeja and Alimosho divisions.

“The campaign is to  remind residents  about the need to go for HIV screening in order to know their HIV status.

He said, “This year’s theme: Right To Health – Make it Happen – is a call to everyone in the Society to respect the rights of all.

The Lagos State government has put measures in place to include the blind, deaf and other disabled groups  in the screening exercise this years.