The Oyo State Government has launched a community health initiative, deploying its Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA) to Ajegunle Market in Atiba Local Government Area to provide free disease screening and awareness.
The integrated outreach, held on Saturday, offered residents and traders complimentary testing for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. The programme is part of a state-wide strategy to enhance preventive healthcare and improve access to essential services at the grassroots level.
Dr. Wale Falana, Coordinating Director of OYSACA, stated the primary goal was to bring critical diagnostics and counselling directly to populations with limited access to conventional medical facilities. “The outreach is part of efforts to scale up health interventions at the grassroots and strengthen disease prevention,” he said.
The exercise included laboratory testing and the distribution of prescribed medications for immediate care. Dr. Falana emphasized that individuals with preliminary HIV-positive results would be promptly referred to designated treatment centres for confirmatory tests and comprehensive management. He underscored that “knowing one’s health status, especially HIV status, remains a crucial step in prevention and effective management.”
He urged the public to adopt regular testing and responsible health practices, such as safe sexual behaviour and avoiding the sharing of sharp objects. Dr. Falana also acknowledged Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration for fostering an enabling environment for public health programmes, noting that effective HIV response requires collaboration between citizens, government, and health workers.
Representing the Chairman of Atiba Local Government, Supervisory Councillor for Health Salau Musa described the outreach as timely, particularly for financially vulnerable residents. Market leaders, Babaloja Rasak Oyelayo and Iyaloja Alhaja Fasilatu Motunrayo, praised the agency for bringing the campaign directly to the market, highlighting its significant benefit for traders and the wider community facing economic barriers to healthcare.
The initiative reflects ongoing efforts by the Oyo State Government to decentralise preventive health services, aiming to increase early detection, reduce disease transmission, and link more citizens to sustained care through community-based approaches.
