NIGERIA: 718 Pregnant Women Tested Positive For HIV In Ogun In 2014

By Kehinde Akinyemi, Daily Trust Nigeria

Abeokuta — A total of 718 out of 50,209 pregnant women screened for HIV tested positive in the year 2014, the state commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye has disclosed.

Ipaye, who was briefing newsmen on the 2015 World AIDS day in Abeokuta, said the a total of 1022 HIV positive pregnant women received ARV prophylaxis for PMTCT.

He said there were 488 live births by HIV positive women with 639 HIV exposed infants receiving first dose of Nevirapine.

The Commissioner also hinted that in the year under review a total of 140,904 were counseled, tested and received results in 2014 with 4693 persons testing positive. Out this figure, 2207 persons were initiated on ART in the state.

On the possibility of eradicating AIDs epidemic by 2030, Ipaye said there is need to close the gap between people who have access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services and people who are being left behind to make the eradication possible.

He noted that such barriers, which include stigma and discrimination, false beliefs and poor domestic funding among others should be looked into, suggesting further that, "government will take a lead by supporting mobilization of resources to expand and improve access to treatment as well as engaging all members of society especially those who are most vulnerable which is key to a unified and comprehensive HIV/AIDs response."