The Ogun State Commissioner for Health Dr. Tomi Coker has said that the State Government is pulling all medical and clinical strings to ensure HIV/AIDS is vigorously controlled, targeting a free HIV/AIDS status for the State in 2030.
Coker, who spoke at a Press Briefing organised by the Ogun State Agency for the Control of Aids (OGSACA) in commemoration of the year 2025 World AIDS Day, with the theme," Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response,” in Abeokuta, emphasised the need to focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and ensuring that children living with HIV have access to care and treatments.
The Commissioner assured of a plan to intensify efforts at eradicating the spread of HIV/AIDS, particularly among the vulnerables through adequate public awareness, as well as cooperation and support from the general public.
She informed that the Ogun State Government, through OGSACA, had developed the Ogun State HIV Strategic Plan (2025–2027), anchored on five key pillars to include sustaining universal access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2030, strengthening health systems and data-driven decision-making, promoting community-led and community-owned responses as well as ensuring sustainability through domestic resource mobilisation.
She highlighted the State’s achievements in combating HIV, including, the creation of the Ogun State Alternate Medicine Board, engagement of additional implementing partners, training of Traditional Birth Attendants and community-based organisations.According to her ” in Ogun state 96% of our citizens know their status, 78% on treatment as over 30,000 people in Ogun State are receiving free antiretroviral therapy in our health facilities. We hope to achieve 95:95:95 target with a total of 40,309 on treatment. HIV testing and counselling services are now available across all 20 Local Government Areas, bringing care closer to our communities,’’ she said.
Dr Coker stressed that sustaining the momentum of the HIV response required a comprehensive approach, involving prevention, testing, treatment and support services, calling for increased funding for HIV programmes, tackling social determinants of health and strengthening community engagement.
Earlier, Special Adviser, to Governor on Media and Communication, Kayode Akinmade, said it was imperative to scale-up awareness on AID/HIV through public enlightenment and education, in order to halt the virus totally.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alhaja Waheed Adesina, Akinmade assured that the Ministry of Information and Strategy would continue to support the course of disseminating information against the spread of the virus.