Lagos Records Reduction In HIV Cases

Lagos Records Reduction In Hiv Cases

The Lagos State Government yesterday said it has recorded a drop from its Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV, the prevalence rate from 5.1 in 2013 to 4.1 presently.

The state also disclosed that not less than 47,393 people living with the virus are actively receiving free anti – Retroviral drugs in the state.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris disclosed these during the Ministry’s Ministerial briefing to commemorate Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s first year in office.

According to the Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly’s Committee on Health, Mr. Segun Olulade said that a total of 470, 435 Lagos residents was infected with HIV.

Idris while giving an account of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency’s, LASACA, activities, said in the last one year, the state screened and counselled 645,301 people for HIV/AIDS.

He said: “The State’s prevalence rate three years ago was 5.1 percent. We have achieved one per cent reduction.

We are getting downward trend and we need to intensify our advocacy and others to ensure that the percentage continues to drop.” His words, “In the next one year our activities will specifically target the issue of quality in all its dimensions, strengthening the delivery system and scaling up health promotion and disease prevention activities.

” Idris, who spoke extensively in other areas the Ministry has performed excellently, announced that under the state’s sanitation law a total of 1,812 industries was sanctioned.

“In a bid to ensure optimal health and safety of workers in the workplace, 3,747 premises were inspected and 1,983 (52%) premises were found satisfactory, 1812 (48%) not satisfactory.

The commissioner explained that the sanction was to standardize practice among the industries to ensure they operate in line with Public Health and Environmental Sanitation Laws of the state.

Seals 166 hospitals, illegal Pharmaceutical outfits on health facilities,

Idris also hinted that no less than 166 hospitals and illegal premises were sealed in Lagos in the last one year to ensure compliance with the State health facility standard.

“The Regulatory activities of Pharmaceutical Inspectorate Unit (PIU), registered 132 pharmaceutical outfits were registered, 559 new applicants were interviewed and 159 illegal premises were sealed. “Drug Quality Control Laboratory, DQCL analyzed the 332 samples received.

This complements comprised drugs -275, herbal preparation-1, water-35, cosmetics -21 and 547 certificates were issued,” he added.

He further explained that seven hospitals were sealed after investigation by the State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, HEFAMAA.

“Of the 781 health facilities monitored, 70 facilities were found wanting and served closure notices. 1125 Private Health Facility registrations were renewed.

” On the health of civil servants, the commissioner announced that the outcome of the screening conducted for civil servants under the Lagos State Government employs revealed that 4,091 civil servants were infected with malaria and 1, 277 infected with hypertension in the last one year.

According to him, “a total of patients seen were 11,418.

The Three most prevalent disease entities are Malaria -4,091, Hypertension – 1,277, Upper respiratory tract infection – 1,154.”

He attributed the increase in the number of civil servants affected with anxiety to work, fear and poor lifestyle.