Olatawura Ladipo-Ajayi, Lagos Community Manager
According to the 2010 sentinel survey of Nigeria, Lagos has an HIV prevalence rate of 5.1 percent. The survey shows that the majority of the state’s HIV presence is in urban areas; the rural prevalence is only 1.3 percent. In light of the high and growing HIV prevalence in Lagos, a number of agencies, private firms and civil society organisations are working hard to spread the word about HIV prevention and to care for patients.
The state runs a program for the city under the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, which aims to fight prevalence of HIV/AIDS within the city. Its programs include monitoring and evaluation, care and support outreach, counselling and testing services, and information and communication outreach programs regarding the prevention and treatment of HIV. The program has set up over 50 HIV counselling and testing centers (HCTs) around the city of Lagos, making the program available to both private and state-owned health facilities.
The HCT workgroup of the agency assures that HCT centers and partners are visible to the public and that they meet standards for testing and care of HIV-positive people. It works with the Information, Communication and Education (IEC) group of the agency to expand the locations and capacities of the HCT centers around the city. This workgroup also sponsors infomercials regarding tolerance, and sensitizes the public against stigmatisation of HIV-positive people. This year the IEC workgroup aimed to increase HCT intake by 10 percent, to be accomplished through various promotional information sessions about HCT and promoting health care to the public. Earlier this year, the state disclosed that 9,660 of the 102,279 patients examined in the last year tested positive for HIV.
While considerable effort is being made to galvanize the mitigation of HIV prevalence in the city of Lagos through the creation of agencies whose programs work to support civil organisations programs and advocate HIV prevention and care, there is a clear need for increasing efforts towards communication of screening centers and available care services in the city. Considering the population of the state — roughly 17.5 million people— a few hundred thousand people screened is relatively low. Also requiring more attention is the cost of these services: while the state can provide information on where to get services, protect the rights of people living with HIV, and advocate for care and prevention methods, most important is the cost of treatment. Subsidizing this cost will go a long way in providing care, as most people living with the virus cannot afford its care. It is understandable the state may not be able to afford free care for all, but incorporating favorable payment and affordable cost systems will help move the mission forward.
Photo credit: Planet Aid and Skye Bank