Lagos celebrates big milestone in HIV treatment for over 120,000 residents
On Tuesday, December 3, the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) shared exciting news: over 120,000 people in Lagos are now receiving life-saving treatment for HIV. This includes a special focus on children, teens, and other vulnerable groups.
The treatment, called antiretroviral therapy (ART), uses special medicines to help people with HIV live healthier lives.
Folakemi Animashaun, the CEO of LSACA, spoke at a press briefing on Monday, December 3, marking the start of a week full of activities in celebration of World AIDS Day 2024. She shared that this treatment progress is an important step in the fight against HIV in Lagos and shows the city’s commitment to the global UNAIDS goals. These goals aim to ensure that 95% of people with HIV know their status, 95% of them receive treatment, and 95% of those people are able to manage the virus.
“We’ve reached over 1 million people in Lagos with HIV prevention education and testing,” Ms. Animashaun said, according to a statement on the Lagos State Government’s Facebook page.
Key facts about the treatment
Ms. Animashaun shared more details about the 120,000 people currently receiving treatment in Lagos. Among them, 340 children between the ages of 1 and 4 are living with HIV, and 879 are between 5 and 9 years old. There are also 2,077 adolescents with HIV. She stressed the importance of preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission to reduce these numbers.
“Let me follow up about the number of children with HIV. For children between one to four years, we have about 340. For five to nine years, we have 879, from 10 to 14 years, we have 1,442, and from 15 to 19, we have about 2,077,” Ms. Animashaun explained.
She also spoke about LSACA’s efforts to connect HIV and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), recognizing that both are serious challenges for public health. In addition, the agency has provided support through visits to local action committees on AIDS and community groups.
Fun events and important messages
For World AIDS Day, LSACA planned several fun events to raise awareness and support the fight against HIV. These included HIV testing services from November 30 to December 3, a fun football match on December 1, and a road walk for HIV prevention on December 3.
The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day activities is, “The Right Path: Sustain the HIV Response and Stop HIV Among Children in Nigeria by 2030.”
“These activities are not just events, but opportunities to make a real difference in the fight against HIV,” Ms. Animashaun said. “As we celebrate World AIDS Day, LSACA reminds everyone that we need to keep working together to stop HIV from spreading.”
World AIDS Day is observed each year on December 1 to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and promote the rights of people living with the disease.
