400,000 people living in Ogun have HIV/AIDS- Commissioner

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LequteMan

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The Ogun Government on Thursday through its Commissioner for Health, Dr Olaokun Soyinka, at a news conference to mark the 2013 World AIDS Day in Abeokuta has revealed that no fewer than 400,000 people are currently living with the HIV and AIDS scourge in the state.

Soyinka lamented the prevalence rate in the state, saying it was “rising and falling”.

He said the scourge had maintained an undefined pattern since 1996, pointing out that the situation implied that ``we are not winning the war against HIV/AIDS’’.

The commissioner however said the state was fighting the scourge aggressively from all fronts.

``We have been using education, sensitisation, HIV testing and counseling, with the provision of anti-retroviral drugs to infected people,’’ he said.

While describing the state's proximity to Lagos as a blessing, Soyinka said there was the need to develop more potent methods to prevent the disease.

He pointed at the fact that there was a high influx of people into the state from Lagos which has a relatively higher prevalence rate in South-West Nigeria.

``Strategies must be in place to avert HIV transmission from Lagos state which records a prevalence rate of 4.2 per cent.

``Also, there is still low comprehensive knowledge about HIV, especially in rural areas.

``And, apart from that, the rate of infection is highest among couples because some don't know their status, and still don't use condoms.

The commissioner explained that the 2013 World AIDS Day’s theme was aimed at encouraging people to know their status and avoid discriminating against people living with the virus.

Also speaking at the occasion, Director of the State Action Council on AIDS (SACA), Dr Kehinde Fatungase, told journalists that the state was sponsoring a stigmatisation bill.

He said the bill would make discrimination against those with HIV/AIDS a serious crime in the state.

“Once the bill is signed into law, we will be able to fight stigmatisation wholly," he said.



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