Embrace maternal programme to free newborns from HIV, Delta commissioner advises women

PREGNANT women and those of child-bearing age in Delta State have been advised to take advantage of the government’s free maternal and under five programmes to ensure that no child in the state is born with HIV anymore.

Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, said this   in a state-wide broadcast in Asaba, as part of activities  marking  the 2023 World AIDS Day,  tagged: Communities: Leadership to end AIDS by 2030.

According to him,  prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the HIV virus is a  priority and, as such, every pregnant woman irrespective of area of registration, whether in government facilities, traditional birth attendant homes or maternity homes, should make themselves available for HIV counselling and testing as they are free in  the  state.

Onajaeme disclosed that government has made   progress in the critical areas of prevention and treatment which included the recent innovations in the response through the introduction of HIV self-testing, which has been launched in the state, adding that self-testing kits have been utilised among the adolescent and pediatric.

Efforts at combating the disease, he said, have yielded fruits that resulted in the state moving from HIV/AIDS high burdened state to a maintenance state, implying near epidemic control.

‘’All persons living with HIV on treatment in the state are 95 percent virally suppressed and are not likely to transmit the virus.

‘’This administration is committed to ending the HIV pandemic by providing the platform for those living with the virus to be heard at all levels. We renew our commitment to work with our diverse stakeholders and  communities to end  HIV pandemic in our  state and the  country,’’ the commissioner  said.

Meanwhile, a three-day health summit  convened by the state government has ended in Asaba, with  over 70 health system stakeholders drawn from government, private sector, civil society organisations (CSOs),   leading experts and researchers, policy makers, health system officials, technical leads as well as implementing partners, professional organisations, community and religious leaders  in the state in attendance.

Onojaeme, who declared the ceremony open, said  the summit, being convened just six months into  Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration, speaks volume on the state government’s commitment  in  improving the health sector.

‘’This is a summit that brings together important key players and stakeholders of the health sector in the state to review where we stand and make informed decisions on where we want to be  and how we can get there,’’  the commissioner said.

In her remarks, Dr Manuela Uribe, a senior health specialist, World Bank,  said the summit afforded the state the opportunity to look inward, assess the strengths and weaknesses in the health sector and come out with a road map on how to change the negative narrative to a positive one.

Explaining the essence of the summit, Dr Ashwin Budden, also of the World Bank and lead facilitator of the summit,  stated that they were in the state  on the invitation of the  government who approached the bank on the  opportunities  available to improve the health sector.

‘’Delta State government sought from the World Bank an opportunity to provide a health summit and we felt an assessment was the first step to  understand how the system is performing,’’ he said.

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