Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has reaffirmed his commitment to eradicating mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS in the state.
He emphasised that this goal would be achieved through effective collaboration with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and other key stakeholders in the health sector.
In a statement shared on the state government’s social media platforms, Governor Oyebanji underscored the initiative’s purpose: ensuring no child is born with the virus and further reducing the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate across the state.
The governor made these remarks on Monday evening during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori, and her team to his office in Ado-Ekiti.
Governor Oyebanji highlighted his administration’s resolve to adopt a more intentional and strategic approach to preventing and eliminating mother-to-child transmission.
He described these efforts as critical steps toward bridging the infection gaps among newborns in Ekiti State.
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He further noted that the state government has consistently demonstrated its commitment to initiatives that have significantly curtailed the spread of the pandemic within the region.
“If you follow comments on Ekiti State, we have done a lot of things in that sector to ensure that we work with respect to their welfare and availability of health facilities and consumables across the state. We are punching beyond our weight in that sector.
“I am happy with the emphasis on reducing transmission from mother to child. It is very critical, yes, the prevalent rate may be low here, but the transmission from mother to child, we need to watch that. Whatever we need to do, we will do, because it is in our interest to keep our people healthy and also protect the unborn children from contracting this disease”, the governor said.
Governor Oyebanji pledged to revamp and strengthen the Local Action Committee on AIDS (LACA) at the local government level to ensure an effective grassroots response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
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He also announced that the state government would establish HIV Testing Services in all 16 local government areas, providing a critical entry point for HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services.
Earlier, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Temitope Ilori, expressed concern over the significant number of children born with HIV/AIDS due to mother-to-child transmission.
She emphasized the urgent need to eradicate pediatric HIV across Nigeria. Despite substantial investments to combat the HIV/AIDS crisis over the years, Dr. Ilori lamented that Nigeria still lags, contributing approximately 25% of the global population of children born with HIV.
She underscored the importance of strengthening collaboration with the Ekiti State Government to further reduce HIV prevalence.
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While commending Ekiti State for achieving the lowest HIV prevalence in Nigeria, Dr. Ilori called for the active participation of religious leaders, traditional rulers, and both traditional and new media in eradicating the disease within the state.
The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Habibat Adubiaro, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Oyebanji Filani, and representatives from NACA and the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA).
