200,000 currently infected with AIDS in Oyo —NACA DG

About 200,000 residents of Oyo state live with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, with 50 persons reportedly contracting the virus every day.

Only eight percent of the affected patients are currently receiving treatment, with about 10,000 pregnant women making up the 180,000 residents that require treatment in the state.

Director General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Sani Aliyu made these disclosures on Tuesday when he, alongside other officials involved in the control of HIV/AIDS, visited Oyo Governor’s office, Ibadan.

Aliyu said only the Nigerian government only funded the treatment of 5 percent of the about 1.6 million Nigerian AIDS patients, while the others were treated courtesy global funding agencies.

According to Aliyu, a large number of HIV carriers remained untreated due to inadequate funding for the control of AIDS by state governments, compared to what global funding agencies committed.

He consequently reiterated calls by the NACA for states to devote between 0.5 and 1 percent of their federal allocation to the control of AIDS, so that more thousands of patients can be on treatment.

Country Representative, World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Rex Mpazanje; Executive Secretary, Oyo SACA, Mr Obatunde Oladapo; Country Representative, United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Dr Elasmus Moroh were on the visiting team.

Responding, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state assured that the state government will continue to partner with relevant agencies to reduce AIDS in the state.

Ajimobi, represented by the deputy governor, Mr Moses Adeyemo, said the state will continue to provide funding and institutional support to ensure that AIDS in the state is reduced to the barest minimum.