At least 9,253 about 8.9 percent were tested positive to the Human Immune Virus, HIV in the Lagos State in the last one year. Also the three most prevalent diseases managed in the 7,211 patients attended to during the period under reference were malaria 30 percent, hypertension 26 percent and upper respiratory tract infections 10 percent. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris disclosed this, Wednesday, at the ministerial briefing on the activities of his ministry in the last one year as well as marks the fourth year in office of Governor Babatunde Fashola in office. Idris who said that HIV/AIDS remained a disease of public health significance, disclosed that the ministry/Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, in collaboration with development partners, during the period under review, counseled and tested 104, 344 clients of which 9,253 (8.9 percent) tested positive.
He explained that the state government provided free antiretroviral treatment for 2,905 newly enrolled clients, Placed 575 HIV positive pregnant women on free anti-retroviral therapy as a PMTCT intervention as well as distributed 84,472 supplementary HIV test kits to health facilities.
According to Idris, the ministry, during the year continued to appraise and execute the following programs with the primary objectives of preventing, early detection and treatment of diseases with public health significance such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis/Leprosy, Avian Influenza, preventable blindness.
On the free health scheme:, the commissioner stated that the state’s free health policy, predicated on the need to provide some form of security in terms of financial access for the indigent and vulnerable persons, was sustained by the administration to offer succor and hope.
Under the scheme a total of 5,942 public servants benefited and 517 others, free health service reimbursements stood at 208 while sponsorship for overseas medical treatment is 207.
On Malaria eradication programme, Idris stressed that malaria remained a major public health challenge accounting for about 30 percent of childhood mortality, 10 percent of maternal mortality and a significant proportion of absenteeism from school and work in the state.
Olasunkanmi Akoni, Chioma Obinna & Monsur Olowoopejo