Ogun Governor Announces Free HIV Care for 30,000 Residents
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, disclosed yesterday that more than 30,000 residents living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are currently receiving free antiretroviral therapy, counseling, and support services in health facilities across the state. He made this announcement in Abeokuta during the commissioning of the Pharma-Grade Warehouse of the Ogun State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency.
Governor Abiodun stated that his administration has achieved significant milestones in the healthcare sector by repositioning the state's health system for optimal service delivery. He urged residents to take advantage of available healthcare services by visiting hospitals for proper diagnosis and treatment.
According to the governor, the state government has continued to strengthen HIV prevention programs, expand testing services, and implement measures to reduce new infections. He commended the Global Fund for expanding access to HIV treatment in Nigeria and for supporting tuberculosis diagnosis, malaria prevention, and the provision of life-saving medicines and health commodities. The governor noted that the Fund's grants have particularly benefited women, children, adolescents, vulnerable groups, and underserved communities.
Abiodun described the newly commissioned warehouse as a strategic investment that will enhance the storage, management, and distribution of essential medicines and health commodities across the state. “The facility will strengthen supply chain efficiency, reduce stock-outs, and ensure that medicines and test kits reach healthcare facilities and patients across the 20 local councils of the state in a timely manner,” he stated.
The governor acknowledged that HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria remain significant public health challenges in the state but assured that his administration, working with development partners, is making steady progress through sustained interventions aimed at reducing their impact. He reaffirmed his administration's commitment to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and said efforts to combat tuberculosis have been intensified through community outreach programs, contact tracing, and hotspot mapping.
Earlier, the state's Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, said the facility was established to improve the delivery of quality healthcare services across the state. She commended Abiodun for investing in a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) machine to test the quality of drugs supplied to health facilities, adding that the state government plans to deploy technology to detect low stock levels in medical facilities across the state.
In his remarks, Executive Director of the Global Fund, Peter Sands, described the newly commissioned facility as a critical investment to strengthen healthcare delivery and ensure the timely availability of medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic commodities.
