Dec. 2  2024

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), Dr. Folakemi Animashaun has disclosed that 120,000 individuals in Lagos State are currently receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy, with a particular focus on children, adolescents, and other vulnerable groups.

In a statement by the Stat government on Monday, Animashaun stated this at a press briefing organised in commemoration of the 2024 World AIDS Day, themed: “The Right Path: Sustain the HIV Response and Stop HIV Among Children in Nigeria by 2030”.

She noted that the State has made remarkable strides in the fight against HIV.

“In Lagos State, we have made remarkable strides in the fight against HIV.

Through the combined efforts of government agencies, implementing partners, community stakeholders, and the resilient people of Lagos, we have significantly advanced toward the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets.

These milestones reflect our commitment to a robust and inclusive HIV and AIDS response, giving us hope for a future free of HIV”.

The commemoration, she said, is a global movement and a moment of collective reflection, and an opportunity to drive impactful action, reaffirm commitments, and strengthen the momentum towards ending the epidemic.

According to Animashaun,”The event serves as a platform of profound global and local significance to honour lives of those lost to AIDS-related illnesses, celebrate the progress made in the fight against HIV & AIDS, and renew our collective commitment to ending the epidemic by 2030″.

“It is also a clarion call to action that underscores the urgency of sustaining the gains achieved while prioritising children and gender equity and upholding the principles of gender equity and human rights in the HIV response.

It compels us to ensure that every child, every family, and every community in Lagos State and beyond has access to the care, dignity, and protection they deserve”, the CEO said.

The Agency, she said, has also developed a guideline addressing the intersection between Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and HIV, recognising the critical overlap between these two pressing public health challenges.

These pioneering efforts, she said, make Lagos State the first and only state in Nigeria to thoroughly examine and document a structured approach to addressing the GBV-HIV intersection.

Through community-based engagement with the active participation of the general public, the agency has reached over 1,000,000 people with HIV through prevention education and testing services, reflecting the importance of grassroots mobilization in achieving epidemic control.

LSACA, with support from implementing partners, has equally facilitated groundbreaking interventions, including mentoring visits to Local Action Committees on AIDS and community-based organisations, strengthening their capacity to deliver quality services.

Commenting on week-long activities in commemoration of World AIDS data, the CEO said there are various impactful activities to foster awareness, build partnerships, and accelerate the HIV response.

These include Press Briefing (Friday, 29th November 2024 at Bagauda Kaltho press centre; HIV Testing Services (Saturday, 30th November – Tuesday, 3rd December 2024):

This is a three-day state-wide initiative reaching over 100,000 individuals, offering free, confidential HIV testing across all 20 LGAs of Lagos State.

There will also be a Novelty Football Match (Sunday, 1st December 2024) at Campos Stadium, Lagos Island, and a Road Walk for HIV Prevention (Tuesday, 3rd December 2024) starting from the Lagos State Ministry of Health to the Lagos State House of Assembly, where the Wife of Lagos State Governor Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu will empower persons living with HIV.

Other activities include the World AIDS Day Symposium (Wednesday, 4th December 2024) at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton Lagos, Ikeja, to discuss critical HIV issues, focusing on children and sustainable HIV response strategies.

“These activities are not just events, but opportunities to make a real difference in the fight against HIV. “As we commemorate this year’s World AIDS Day, LSACA reiterates the urgency and importance of sustaining our innovative and inclusive strategies, ensuring no one is left behind in the fight against HIV”, Animashaun said.

Other goodwill messages came from the representative of the Director of Disease Control, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Oladipupo Fisher; Dr. Uloma Nwogu from Heartland Alliance; Mr. Patrick Akpan, State Coordinator, NEPWHAN; and Dr. Temitope Fadiya from UNAIDS.