The Rivers State Government has encouraged citizens to know their status and support those living with HIV.
The state commissioner for Health, Hon. Adaeze Oreh made this known in a statement Today to mark this year’s WorldAIDSDay.
Her statement reads, “Today, we commemorate #WorldAIDSDay, a global initiative dedicated to raising awareness, advocating for HIV prevention, and honouring those affected by HIV/AIDS.
This year’s theme, ‘Take the Rights Path: Sustain the HIV Response and Stop HIV Among Children to End AIDS in Nigeria by 2030,’ aligns with Rivers State’s commitment to eradicating #HIV.
“…Guided by the Global AIDS strategy 2021 – 2026 and Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS strategic plan, 2023 – 2027, this year’s focus emphasizes ownership, sustainability, equity and the protection of the rights of children and all those affected by HIV.
By taking a rights-based approach, we can strengthen our HIV response and ensure future generations are safeguarded, particularly, through the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programmes. This initiative aims to prevent more than 90% of HIV infections in children as the risk of HIV transmission from mother to child can be reduced to less than 5% with proper antiretroviral treatment.
In Rivers State, we are committed to advancing the quality of life for people living with HIV by providing access to world-class health services…
As part of our commitment to epidemic control and achieving the 95-95-95 targets by 2030: 95% of people know their status, 98% are receiving treatment and 87% are virally suppressed. Over 92,000 people in our state are currently on sustained treatment, across more than 115 facilities, covering both public and private sectors including primary, secondary and tertiary facilities.
Our State AIDS/STIs Control Program with the support of various partners continues to spearhead voluntary community testing campaigns and implement innovative retention strategies to meet the targets of HIV elimination. For this year’s World AIDS Day, we have launched massive case-finding efforts, ensuring that people who test positive are promptly linked to care across all our 23 LGAs.
We acknowledge the crucial support of partners such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Nigeria, the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria and the Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, alongside other Ministries, Agencies, the media and members of the health sector control team.
With the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme making healthcare more affordable and the Rivers State Emergency Service and Ambulance System offering faster emergency responses, we are confident that health outcomes in our state will continue to improve.
Our #Health4AllRivers strategy under the leadership of His Excellency Governor Governor Siminalayi Fubara, aims to ensure that every citizen and resident of Rivers State has access to quality healthcare reinforcing our efforts to achieve the 2030 HIV elimination goals.
As we confront the HIV/AIDS epidemic, we have made substantial progress. However, challenges remain, and we must stay resolute in our goal of achieving zero new infections and a future free of HIV/AIDS.
I urge every one of you to become advocates for HIV control in your communities, support gender-equitable social norms and promote the uptake of PMTCT – prevention of mother-to-child transmission services – to ensure that no child is born with HIV.
Finally, know your status today, support those living with HIV and encourage pregnant women to register for antenatal care at the nearest health facility.
Let us work together in supporting government control programmes to continue making strides in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
