The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening community-led interventions in the state’s HIV response through enhanced capacity building for peer educators and community representatives.
The Chief Executive Officer of LSACA, Dr. Folakemi Animashaun, stated this on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at a two-day Peer Educator Capacity Strengthening Meeting held at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ikeja.
Animashaun described peer educators as a critical link between communities and available HIV services, stressing that effective HIV programmes must extend beyond health facilities to the communities where people live, work and make decisions about their health.
She noted that peer educators play key roles in providing accurate HIV information, correcting misconceptions, promoting prevention and testing, supporting referrals and linkage to care, and encouraging treatment adherence and retention.
According to her, the two-day meeting was designed to strengthen and standardise participants’ practical knowledge and skills in HIV prevention, testing services, treatment literacy, referral and linkage pathways, adherence support, community mobilisation, confidentiality, documentation and effective communication.
Animashaun said the diversity of participants offered an opportunity to strengthen individual capacities, improve coordination among community structures and deepen understanding of barriers faced by people living with HIV and populations disproportionately affected by the virus.
She urged participants to share their field experiences, identify persistent barriers to accessing services and develop practical solutions to improve community-level interventions, referral mechanisms and service delivery.
The LSACA CEO also emphasised the importance of listening to community networks and peer educators, noting that their experiences and feedback were essential to effective programme planning, implementation and continuous improvement.
She paid particular attention to adolescents and young people living with HIV, stressing that peer support could help them better understand their treatment, remain engaged in care, address stigma and psychosocial challenges, and achieve viral suppression.
Animashaun urged peer educators to maintain professionalism, empathy, respect and confidentiality in all interactions, while recognising the limits of their roles and appropriately referring clinical or specialised concerns to qualified healthcare providers.
She commended the Lagos State Government, under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, for its continued commitment to health-system strengthening and improved access to quality healthcare services.
The CEO also appreciated implementing partners, community networks, civil society organisations, peer educators and other stakeholders for their contributions to strengthening the HIV response across Lagos State.
