‘We have recorded significant achievements in fight against spread of HIV/AIDS’

Oyo State government says it has recorded great achievements in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS within the state.

Bashir Bello,ommissioner for Health, who disclosed this, said “most of our hospitals are equipped to take care of victims. Show them love, encourage them that it is not the end of life and take precautions to prevent spread.

The commissioner who spoke in Ibadan at a sensitization programme for local birth attendants in the state on prevention of HIV/AIDS in commemoration of the 2019 World AIDS day held at Elekuro High school, in Ona Ara local government area said despite this, there was still the need for more to be done by stakeholders towards putting an end to the spread of the disease through enlightenment and collaboration

.“This is why we are appealing to us not to put stigma on infected people; local birth attendants need to get adequate information on care of victims to prevent spread of infection. You need to treat them well, educate them and not isolate them. We now live with deadly diseases and we can manage it better now with enlightenment,” he said.

The programme was put together by the Oyo State Ministry of Health in conjunction with APIN Public Health Initiatives to teach local birth attendants how to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDs in their patients with the theme ‘Communities make the difference – Rock the ribbon together.

” HIV/AIDS is called a global health issue because it is not limited to a particular location and once an individual is infected, people around such person is not safe, reiterating the need to stop putting a stigma on victims” he added.

He however thanked development partners who not only give drugs but help maintain hospitals adding “I also want to emphasise the need for collaborative efforts to succeed in eradicating this endemic.”

Speaking at the event, Olukorede Ikunne, health officer for Ona Ara Local Government and a medical doctor stated that groups and associations are important in the fight against the spread of HIV, not only in the local government area but in the state as a whole, adding that local birth attendants have an important role to play in order to put an end to the spread of HIV/AIDs.

Also speaking Lanre Abass, executive Secretary of the State Action Committee on AIDS (SACA), noted that local birth attendants are important partners in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDs, adding that when a pregnant woman is adequately taken care of till delivery, it will minimise the risk of getting infected or spreading the virus.

“You know we have to be careful in order to prevent the spread of HIV because you deal with blood. Like we always say, a child can be infected at pregnancy or during delivery. As you take care of pregnant women, you need to know your status too so as to know how you will care for them,” he said.

Bola Thompson, representative of APIN Public Health Initiatives, stated that her organisation will continue to be partner with the local birth attendants to ensure that the virus is not being spread and urged them to always tell pregnant women and their families to go for test and they shouldn’t commence care until status of patients are ascertained.

REMI FEYISIPO, Ibadan.