In a heartfelt observance of the 2024 World AIDS Day, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Kogi State Agency for the Control of AIDS (KOSACA), Ibrahim Anate, revealed critical updates in Lokoja, during an event organized by the Centre for Integrated Health Programs (CIHP) in partnership with KOSACA.
Anate shared that “36,066 are presently on treatment in Kogi State,” emphasizing the state’s dedicated efforts to combat the HIV epidemic.
“We are seriously fighting the scourge, and we are raising awareness in all the communities and hard-to-reach areas of Kogi State about HIV.”
He praised the tireless work of the state government under the leadership of Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, noting that it is a top priority to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS continue their treatment.
“The state government is committed to ensuring that pregnant women who are HIV-positive give birth to babies that are HIV-negative,” Anate continued.
“The current administration is also striving hard to ensure that people who are positive in Kogi State will turn negative.”
Anate highlighted the collaborative effort of the government in supporting the Ministry of Health and KOSACA to reach even the most isolated communities, emphasizing that this mission is made more urgent by the security challenges in certain areas of the state.
Despite these obstacles, he called on Governor Ododo to approve the Anti-Stigma HIV law recently passed by the Kogi State House of Assembly.
“When the governor assents to this law, people who are HIV-positive can have the confidence to come out and declare their status. Many can’t do this because of the stigmatization in society,” he added.
In a poignant moment, Inyama Lawrencia, Kogi State Technical Lead for the Centre for Integrated Health Programs (CIHP), voiced concern over the troubling rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in the state.
“We have been advocating for every mother to go for antenatal services so that they can know their HIV status,” she explained.
CIHP’s community outreach efforts aim to educate women and encourage them to get tested.
“With the record on hand about mother-to-child HIV transmission, CIHP has been working in the communities sensitizing women to ensure that they come out in masses to know their HIV status.”
However, Lawrencia acknowledged a significant barrier: “One of the challenges is that, due to the economic situation of the country, some women who are supposed to go out to know their status don’t go because of financial constraints,” she said, underlining the urgent need for broader support and education in addressing this pressing issue.