World HIV Day 2025: 'Ogun Targets HIV – Free State By 2030' Says Health Commissioner, Harps on Mother-to-Child Transmission Prevention 

By: Olufemi Orunsola 

As part of activities marking the commemoration of the World HIV Day 2025, the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker has emphasized the state's readiness to become HIV-free by the year 2030.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Commissioner made the announcement while speaking at a Press Briefing organised by the Ogun State Agency for the Control of Aids (OGSACA) in commemoration of the year 2025 World AIDS Day, with the theme,” Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response,” in Abeokuta, emphasised the need to focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and ensuring that children living with HIV have access to care and treatments.

The Commissioner assured of a plan to intensify efforts at eradicating the spread of HIV/AIDS, particularly among the vulnerables through adequate public awareness, as well as cooperation and support from the general public.

She further revealed that the Ogun State Government, through OGSACA, had developed the Ogun State HIV Strategic Plan (2025–2027), anchored on five key pillars to include sustaining universal access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2030, strengthening health systems and data-driven decision-making, promoting community-led and community-owned responses as well as ensuring sustainability through domestic resource mobilisation.

She highlighted the State’s achievements in combating HIV, including, the creation of the Ogun State Alternate Medicine Board, engagement of additional implementing partners, training of Traditional Birth Attendants and community-based organisations.

According to her ” in Ogun state 96% of our citizens know their status, 78% on treatment as over 30,000 people in Ogun State are receiving free antiretroviral therapy in our health facilities. We hope to achieve 95:95:95 target with a total of 40,309 on treatment. HIV testing and counselling services are now available across all 20 Local Government Areas, bringing care closer to our communities,’’ she said.

Dr Coker stressed that sustaining the momentum of the HIV response required a comprehensive approach, involving prevention, testing, treatment and support services, calling for increased funding for HIV programmes, tackling social determinants of health and strengthening community engagement.