The chairman, Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA), Dr. Gbola Adetunji, weekend tasked Nigerians, particularly pregnant women, to work towards ending HIV/AIDS by 2030.
Dr Adetunji gave the task while addressing newsmen during a campaign organised to commemorate the 2024 World AIDS Day.
He statede that Nigeria contributes significantly to the global HIV burden, particularly among children, hence the need for pregnant women to register for antenatal care and ensure they undergo an HIV test to determine their HIV status.
Dr Adetunji noted that, according to UNICEF, in 2020, Nigeria accounted for a substantial number of new child HIV infections worldwide, with an estimated 21,000 new infections, the highest globally.
“Ending AIDS requires prioritising and engaging everyone who is living with, at risk for, or affected by HIV, including vulnerable and marginalised populations such as children, men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who use drugs, sex workers, and people in prisons and other closed settings,” he said.
Dr Adetunji added: “This is essential to ensure an effective and sustainable response to HIV that honours the right to health. If tested positive, proper antiretroviral drugs can be administered to prevent the unborn child from contracting the virus.
“Nigeria has the third-largest HIV burden in the world, after Mozambique and South Africa, with an HIV prevalence of 2.9% among pregnant women.”
The OYSACA chairman said this year’s World AIDS Day themed “Take the Right Paths: Sustain HIV Response and Stop HIV among Children”, has a weeklong of activities involving various stakeholders in the state to commemorate the day.