Pregnant women have been urged to register for antenatal care and ensure they undergo an HIV test to determine their HIV status.
Chairman of Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA), Dr Gbola Adetunji, who made the call while addressing newsmen yesterday during a campaign organised to commemorate the 2024 World AIDS Day, emphasised that Nigeria contributes significantly to the global HIV burden, particularly among children.
He stated 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.
Adetunji said, “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.”
He encouraged pregnant women to undergo HIV testing at least twice during pregnancy, during antenatal care and labour, to determine their status quickly.
“If tested positive, proper antiretroviral drugs can be administered to prevent the unborn child from contracting the virus.”
“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.
“This is essential to ensure an effective and sustainable response to HIV that honours the right to health”, he said.
While revealing this year’s World AIDS Day theme as “Take the Right Paths: Sustain HIV Response and Stop HIV among Children,” Adetunji disclosed that OYSACA had outlined a week-long activity involving various stakeholders in the state to commemorate the day.
He underscored the importance of not stigmatising people living with HIV/AIDS but instead supporting them and showing them love.
He noted that HIV infection is a chronic disease, similar to diabetes and hypertension, which can be managed with proper treatments.
He stated, “Discrimination, stigma, and exclusion remain significant challenges faced by those affected by HIV/AIDS. People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) are often denied access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities as they are also facing discrimination in their homes, schools, and communities.
“This not only hinders their ability to live a fulfilling life, but it also increases their vulnerability to new HIV infections.”
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