Ogun offers free treatment to people living with HIV

OGUN State government yesterday granted HIV positive patients free access to treatment in all health facilities in the State. The Director, Ogun State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OGSACA) in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Toyin Adeyemi spoke in Abeokuta during an HIV Counselling and Testing Outreach (HCT) in conjunction with the World Bank Supported Community HCT Outreach (WBSCHCTO) to community members at Ifo and Odeda Local Government Areas of the State.

According to Adeyemi, 6,577 members of the two local government areas registered for the counselling exercise, disclosing that 2,447 were counselled and tested while 2,424 proved negative.

He disclosed that the free counselling and testing exercise were aimed at capturing the total number of HIV infected persons in the State, adding that the Governor Ibikunle Amosun was interested in the treatment of the infected members of the public.

His words, ”The Governor has made it mandatory that those tested positive should not pay throughout the duration of their treatment, therefore the infected people would be referred to the nearest health facility for free treatment”.

Adeyemi urged members of the public, particularly the youth to be mindful of relationships they keep, saying if they were not 100 percent sure of their partners’ HIV status, it would be safer for them to make use of condoms and other precautionary methods during sex.

In her remarks, the State HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing Officer, Mrs. Lola Oluga, said the free counseling and testing activities carried out in Ifo and Odeda LGA respectively would be extended to other Local Government Areas of the State.

She disclosed that the exercise was aimed at sensitising rural communities on their HIV status, urging the public to go for regular check up for early detection and management.

Oluga said those who had proved positive would have access to free anti-retroviral drugs, noting that government would leave no stone unturned at ensuring that HIV/AIDS was reduced to the barest minimum in the State.