…warns that unprotected sex, inadequate funding can reverse current gains
… calls for sustained HIV education, testing, prevention
New HIV infections in Ondo State appear to be declining, with 770 new cases recorded in the first half of 2026, even as the state government warns that stigma, inadequate funding and risky sexual behaviour among young people could undermine the gains made in the fight against the virus.
The Project Manager of the Ondo State Agency for the Control of AIDS, ODSACA, Dr Dayo Adegbulu, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with WEEKEND HOPE on Thursday in Akure.
According to him, the state recorded 2,421 new infections in 2024 and 1,699 in 2025, noting that with 770 cases recorded between January and June 2026, the figures indicated a continuing downward trend if the decline persisted through the second half of the year.
He estimated the HIV positivity rate in the state at between one and 1.5 per cent, but warned that HIV remained a major public health concern, particularly amid changing social and economic conditions and increased exposure of adolescents to social media.
“Every day someone becomes an adult,” he said, stressing the need for sustained HIV education, testing and prevention programmes among young people.
Adegbulu said an estimated 26,458 people were living with HIV in the state, while 21,301 were currently receiving treatment, leaving a gap of more than 5,000 people yet to be reached and enrolled in care.
He identified unprotected sex as a major driver of new infections, with key populations, including female sex workers, injecting drug users, widows, unmarried people, single mothers and men who have sex with men, requiring targeted prevention interventions.
He also highlighted the importance of peer-led interventions, condom distribution, HIV self-testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP and post-exposure prophylaxis, PEP, in reducing new infections.
While stating that pregnant women remained a critical focus, he said early HIV testing and treatment could reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission to below two per cent, ensuring that babies were born HIV-negative.
Describing stigma and discrimination as significant obstacles, Adegbulu noted that many people living with HIV in the state, including educated citizens and civil servants, were reluctant to publicly identify with networks supporting people living with HIV for fear of discrimination.
He said stigma sometimes began within health facilities, where breaches of confidentiality could discourage people from seeking testing and treatment.
He also listed funding as another major concern, stating that much of the HIV response, including the supply of antiretroviral medicines, had historically depended on Federal Government and donor support.
He called for greater ownership and sustainability of the response by state and local governments.
According to him, as part of efforts to strengthen the grassroots response, local structures of the State Agency for the Control of AIDS were being supported to conduct community testing and refer people who tested positive for treatment.
He said the progress recorded so far must not lead to complacency, warning that failure to sustain prevention, testing, treatment and awareness programmes could reverse the gains made against HIV in Ondo State.
He called on everyone to help prevent the spread of HIV by getting tested, adding that married couples must remain faithful to each other while young people should protect themselves from unprotected sex.