Of the 616,318 that attended the HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) awareness programme from January to June, 2016, no fewer than 9,579 people were tested positive to HIV, according to Oluseyi Temowo, CEO of Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA)
Temowo made this known while speaking at a news conference on Wednesday in Ikeja, Lagos to mark the 2016 World AIDS Day with the theme: “Hands Up for #HIV Prevention’’.
He said that in 2015, a total number of 599, 560 people were counselled, tested and received results out of which 15, 311 people were found to be positive.
Temowo said that 52,803 people living with the affliction were currently on Antiretrovirals (ARVs).
”These statistics simply means that there are many more people who are not aware that they have the virus, that is why knowing one’s status is very important”, he said.
”Being HIV positive does not translate to death with appropriate medications,” he added.
Temowo said in order to aid every Lagos resident to be aware of his or her health status, LSACA had mobilised its HCT trucks to all areas in the state to conduct free HIV counselling and testing.
He said people who tested positive to the virus would be educated on how to take appropriate steps to prevent the transmission to other people.
The LSACA boss said lifestyle modification and health seeking behaviour would stop the progression of the disease.
According to him, this is geared toward achieving the eradication of the virus by 2030.
He said: ”Achieving AIDS free generation requires collective efforts, this is why we are calling on government at all levels, individuals and organisations to join us in this quest to make Lagos State an HIV Free Zone.
”We implore residents to visit all government hospitals within their areas to access free HCT, while HCT trucks will move around to reach other areas for this purpose.
”We also advise people to ensure these various means of prevention- condom use, harm reduction, voluntary medical male circumcision, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, counselling and testing”.
