By Adekunle Yusuf
It was fun time as the moving train of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) stormed the main campus of the Lagos State University (LASU).
As the campus was agog in a trade fair organised by the university students’ body around the main auditorium, LSACA team seized the opportunity to extend free HIV testing and prevention services to them as part of measures to stem the spread of the virus in Lagos.
In the event, more than 1000 students benefited from free testing and counselling services offered by the agency.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LSACA, Dr. Monsurat Adeleke, the outreach is a targeted intervention designed primarily to reach the youths who are the most vulnerable to HIV infection because they indulge more in risky behaviours than any other segment of the population.
In Lagos, the youth, who are credited with low-risk perception, are estimated to be about 43 per cent of the state population. Among the youths, there is HIV prevalence of 1.7 per cent for females; while 0.7 per cent for males. But Adeleke added that LASU was chosen for the outreach because the disaggregated report of the 2018 National HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) showed that Ojo Local Government Area, where the university is sited, has the third-highest HIV prevalence (2.5 per cent) in the state.
“To achieve the mandate of HIV prevention in the state, these targeted interventions were strategically designed to attain the global epidemic control of HIV/AIDS, through the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 targets by 2025. This means that 95 per cent of the people living with HIV should know their HIV status, 95 per cent of HIV positive individuals should be initiated on antiretroviral (ART) drugs, and 95 per cent of individuals on antiretroviral (ART) drugs should achieve viral suppression. The achievement of the 95-95-95 initiative is a key step towards the eradication of new infections by the year 2030,” she said.
Hinting that several outreaches have been lined up this year to target students and the youth in the state, the LSACA boss stressed that such special interventions in campuses give students the opportunity to know their HIV status and adopt positive behavioural change after having passed through the agency’s testing and counselling sessions.
She thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for “passionately supporting the agency and all initiatives that can help the youth”.
Those who tested positive for HIV would be referred to the treatment facilities of their choice in the state so that they could start antiretroviral drugs as the state strives to attain the 95 per cent viral suppression.
Both quick testing and self-testing packs were deployed, with LSACA officials offering demonstrations to guide the students who freely trooped to the stands mounted by the agency to know their HIV status.
Adeleke said LSACA decided to provide testing options to increase the HIV testing uptake by youths and residents in the area, adding that many prefer the confidentiality inherent in the self-testing method.
Addressing the students at LASU campus, she emphasised the importance of HIV counselling services for lifestyle modification on safe sex practices and HIV prevention, using various forms of information, education, and communication (IEC) materials such as pamphlets, T-shirts and fez caps to drive home the messages. There was also the free distribution of male and female condoms, which the LSACA chief said were meant for those who might not be able to abide by the abstinence message.
Acting Dean of Student Affairs, LASU, Dr. Tajudeen Olumoko, said the university would want LSACA to continue enlightening the students on HIV prevention , adding that a one-off event would not be enough.
He stressed that LASU is ready to welcome the agency in its programmes so that many students could partake in the free testing and counselling being provided by the state.
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