The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday urged residents of the state to be conscious of their health and safety, noting that 470,435 people live with the HIV/AIDS virus.
Speaking at plenary as the state marked the World AIDS Day yesterday, the chairman, House Committee on Health, Segun Olulade, urged the Assembly to support those living with virus.
According to him, there is need to unite against the scourge not only in the state but across the country.
“There is a need to support those living with AIDS, today gives us the opportunity to identify with people living with the virus. It is a serious issue that cannot be ignored or treated with levity, as no fewer than 470,435 people have HIV in Lagos State alone,” he said.
He said the figure was obtained from the state Aids Control Agency and urged the state government and all relevant agencies to support enlightenment programmes aimed at checking the spread.
Another member, Sola Giwa who represents Lagos Island I Constituency, said HIV/AIDS required concerted effort to check its spread.
“I urge Lagosians to know that HIV AIDS is real, there is no cure for it, everyone should protect himself,” he said.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Tunde Braimoh, urged the government to also look at many other life-threatening diseases afflicting Nigerians.
Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said Lagos residents needed to be aware that HIV Aids was real and rampant.