Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA) said it has budgeted a sum of 5 million Naira for the procurement of condoms and other consumable for sensitization and control of AIDS across the state.
Also, the agency is targeting no fewer than 10, 000 people for HIV screening throughout the state as part of activities to mark this year’s World’s AIDS Day.
The Wife of Oyo State Governor and the Chairperson of the Agency, Tamunominini Makinde who made the disclosure at a Press Conference in ibadan to herald the commemoration of the 2020 World AIDS said the world’s attention has been shifted to COVID-19 pandemic which ravaged many things, including lives and livelihood, with high mortality and loss of job globally.
According to Galaxy TV, Mrs Makinde who spoke through the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr. Lanre Abass said the disease has more prevalence among women than men in the state.
The wife of the Governor noted that it has become very crucial at this time to work harmoniously and show love, eliminate stigmatisation and discrimination adding that attention and grounding responses in human rights as well gender-responsive approaches are key to curtailing the spread of the disease.
According to Makinde, as at June 2020, over 765, 000 people have been counselled and tested for HIV, out of which 0.9 percent were positive in the state.
Relying on the NAIIS technical report of 2018, she said the state HIV prevalence rate still stands at 0.9 per cent.
