October 22, 2014 – Not less than 57, 587 pregnant women living in Lagos State have tested positive to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
Director Disease Control in the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Jemilade Longe made the revelation at a meeting with women in Lagos.
He said that there are 4.96 million women of reproductive age in Lagos adding that 1.129 million women get pregnant yearly.
In her remarks, wife of the Lagos State Governor, Abimbola Fashola said that Lagos State has an HIV prevent rate of 5.1 percent. This she said meant that 1 million residents of the state are living with HIV.
“It is very clear that our state must play a significant role in the effort to eliminate mother-to-child transmission. Statistics show that only a few pregnant women have actively been counselled and tested for HIV, thereby increasing the risk of mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
“The majority of pregnant women do not know the benefit of utilizing this service because they are either now aware or not informed. We call for an action on the part of all, including women leaders to stop this trend and join he global drive to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and also encourage healthy timing or spacing of pregnancies”, she said.
