Kogi: 50,000 living with HIV/AIDS, 36, 000 on treatment  – Official 

No fewer than 50,000 people are currently living with HIV/AIDS in Kogi state, out of which 36, 066 are on treatment, the Acting Executive Secretary of State Agency for the Control of AIDS (KOSACA), Ibrahim Anate, has said.

“About 50,000 people are living with HIV presently out of which 36,066 are presently on treatment in Kogi state.

“We are seriously fighting the scourge and we are giving HIV awareness to all  communities and the hard-to-reach areas,” Anate told journalists during a road walk to commemorate the 2024 World AIDS Day.

The walk, held on Monday in Lokoja, was organised by the Centre for Integrated Health Programmes, in collaboration with KOSACA.

He said the government has been making efforts to place all those with HIV, including pregnant women, on treatment.

“The current administration is also striving to ensure that people who are positive in Kogi State will turn to negative.

“The government is seriously working hard by providing support to the Ministry of Health, and KOSACA to see that we take the campaign to the very hard-to-reach communities, and all communities in Kogi state,” he added.

He however said that the current security challenges in some parts of the state is making it difficult for some patients to access treatment.

Anate appealed to Governor Usman Ododo to sign the anti-stigmatisation law recently passed by the state House of Assembly.

“When the governor assents to this law, people that are HIV positive can have the confidence to come out and declare their status. Many can’t do this because of the stigmatisation,” he added.

Also speaking, the Kogi State Technical Lead,  Centre for Integrated Health Programmes, Inyama Lawrencia, expressed concern over the mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS.

“We have been advocating for every mother to go for antenatal, so that they can know their HIV status. With the record on ground about mother-to-child HIV transmission, CIHP has been working in communities to sensitise women to come out and know their HIV status.

“One of the challenges is that due to the economic situation in the country, some women who are supposed to go out to know their status don’t even go because of financial constraints”, he noted.