Oyo Strengthens

  The Oyo State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening evidence-based HIV prevention through improved data collection and research as it commenced training for stakeholders ahead of the 2026 Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey (IBBSS). The training, held at the Development Support Centre (DSC), Iyaganku, Ibadan, is part of preparations for the nationwide survey designed to generate updated behavioural and biological data on HIV among key populations. Speaking at the flag-off, the Chairman of the Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA), Aare (Dr.) Gbola Adetunji, described the IBBSS as a critical public health initiative that would provide the evidence needed to track emerging HIV trends, identify service gaps and guide effective resource allocation. He said the 2026 survey would examine the socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, beliefs, risk behaviours, access to HIV prevention and treatment services, HIV status awareness and treatment uptake among key populations, including Female Sex Workers (FSW), Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) and People Who Inject Drugs (PWID). Adetunji noted that previous IBBSS rounds had revealed a significant HIV burden among key populations, stressing that updated data was necessary to measure the impact of interventions and guide future HIV programming. He also called for greater community participation, emphasising that key population communities should be treated as partners in the HIV response rather than merely as respondents. The OYSACA chairman charged field and technical teams to conduct a credible, ethical and high-quality exercise capable of translating into improved HIV policies, programmes and health outcomes. He further urged stakeholders and community representatives to support field teams and create an environment where participants could provide accurate information without fear of discrimination or stigma. Adetunji assured the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), the West Africa Centre for Public Health and Development (WACPHD), development partners and other stakeholders of Oyo State’s continued support and collaboration throughout the exercise. Representing the Director-General of NACA, Dr. Temitope Ilori, Mr. Joseph Terry described the IBBSS as a national government survey whose protocol had been reviewed by the IBBSS Technical Working Group and approved by the Federal Ministry of Health. He stressed the need for all stakeholders to treat the exercise as a national assignment by strictly adhering to the approved protocol and properly documenting all activities. Terry disclosed that the survey was supported by the Global Fund and therefore subject to strict financial and accountability requirements. He urged implementing teams to maintain comprehensive records, noting that proper documentation would be crucial to the release of funds tied to implementation milestones. He also commended the collaboration between OYSACA and WACPHD, urging both organisations to work closely to ensure the survey produces credible data capable of supporting sound health policies and decision-making. The WACPHD representative, Mr. Chukwebuka Ejeckam, said the organisation was providing technical support for the 2026 IBBSS, which is being conducted simultaneously across 12 states in Nigeria. According to him, the 2020 IBBSS recorded HIV prevalence rates of 15.5 per cent among female sex workers and 10.9 per cent among people who inject drugs, highlighting the need for fresh data to assess progress and determine whether HIV interventions are yielding the desired results. Ejeckam disclosed that about 40 field personnel had been recruited and were undergoing training in Oyo State. The team comprises approximately 31 personnel for the behavioural component and nine for the biological and serological component, including laboratory personnel and counsellors. He said the training would be followed by hotspot validation and the commencement of field activities, with the exercise expected to run for about two months, covering September and October. Data analysis, report writing and dissemination would follow thereafter. The Oyo State implementation coordinator, Mr. Aduluju Ayodeji, said the field team would work across the three selected key population groups and appealed for the cooperation of community members and eligible participants. He assured participants that confidentiality would be strictly maintained, adding that information collected during the survey would be handled responsibly and securely. Speaking on behalf of the Key Population Secretariat, Mr. Ajani Kayode commended OYSACA, under the leadership of Adetunji, for its continued support for key population communities in the state. He expressed confidence in the personnel selected for the exercise, describing them as capable hands, and pledged the Secretariat’s support towards the successful implementation of the survey. The Acting Coordinating Director of OYSACA, Mrs. Fausat Okanlawon, described the IBBSS as more than a routine survey, saying its findings would serve as a critical guide for Nigeria’s HIV response among key populations.