…flags off 2026 integrated biological and behavioural surveillance survey training
The Oyo State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening HIV prevention and control through improved data collection, research, and evidence-based interventions.
The government made the commitment on Wednesday while flagging off the 2026 Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey (IBBSS) training for field and technical personnel in the state.
The training, held at the Development Support Centre (DSC), Iyaganku, Ibadan, is part of preparations for the nationwide survey designed to generate current and reliable biological and behavioural data on HIV among key populations.
Flagging off the exercise, 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 capable of providing the evidence required to understand emerging HIV trends, identify gaps in services and guide effective allocation of resources.
Adetunji said the 2026 survey would provide information on the socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, beliefs, risk behaviours, access to HIV prevention and care services, awareness of HIV status and treatment uptake among key populations.
These include female sex workers (FSW), men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who inject drugs (PWID).
He noted that findings from previous rounds of the IBBSS had indicated a significant HIV burden among key populations, stressing that updated data was necessary to assess the impact of existing interventions and determine areas requiring further attention.
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The OYSACA chairman said, “The 2026 IBBSS is a critical public health initiative that will provide the evidence required to understand emerging HIV trends, identify service gaps and guide effective allocation of resources.
“We must ensure that the data generated from this exercise is credible, reliable and useful for shaping policies and programmes that will improve health outcomes.”
Adetunji also called for greater participation of communities covered by the survey, stressing that key population groups should not be viewed merely as respondents but as important partners in the state’s HIV response.
He urged field and technical teams to ensure that the exercise was conducted ethically and professionally, while encouraging stakeholders and community representatives to create an environment where participants could provide accurate information without fear, discrimination, or stigma.
He said, “Key population communities are not just respondents; they are important partners in the HIV response. We must create an environment where participants can provide accurate information without fear, discrimination or stigma.”
The chairman 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 the state government’s continued collaboration towards the successful implementation of the survey.
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.
Terry said the exercise must be treated as a national assignment, with all implementing teams adhering strictly to the approved protocol and ensuring proper documentation of activities.
He explained that the survey was supported by the Global Fund, adding that the funding came with strict financial and accountability requirements.
According to him, proper documentation would be essential to the successful release of funds tied to implementation milestones.
He said, “This is a national assignment and it must be implemented in line with the approved protocol. Proper documentation of every activity is important because accountability is central to the funding of this exercise.”
Terry commended the collaboration between OYSACA and WACPHD, urging both organisations to work closely to ensure that the survey produced credible data capable of supporting effective health policy and decision-making.
The representative of WACPHD, Mr Chukwebuka Ejeckam, said the organisation was providing technical support for the implementation of the 2026 IBBSS, which is being conducted simultaneously in 12 states across the country.
Ejeckam said that the 2020 IBBSS recorded substantial HIV prevalence among some key populations, including 15.5 per cent among female sex workers and 10.9 per cent among people who inject drugs.
He said the figures underscored the importance of obtaining fresh data to determine the progress made in HIV prevention and ascertain whether investments in interventions were producing the desired results.
He said, “The purpose of this exercise is to generate current data that will help us understand what is happening among key populations and determine whether the interventions and investments being made are achieving the desired results.”
Ejeckam disclosed that about 40 field personnel had been recruited and were undergoing training in Oyo State.
He said about 31 personnel would handle the behavioural component of the survey, while nine personnel, including laboratory personnel and counsellors, would handle the biological and serological component.
According to him, the training would be followed by hotspot validation and commencement of field activities, with the exercise expected to last approximately two months, covering September and October.
He said the field exercise would subsequently be followed by data analysis, report writing and dissemination of the findings.
The Oyo State implementation coordinator, Mr Aduluju Ayodeji, said the field team would work across the three selected key population typologies and appealed to community members and eligible participants to cooperate with the personnel.
He assured participants that confidentiality would be strictly maintained, adding that information collected during the exercise would be handled responsibly and securely.
Similarly, the representative 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.
Kayode expressed confidence in the quality of personnel selected for the exercise, describing them as competent and capable of delivering on the assignment.
He pledged the Secretariat’s support for the successful implementation of the survey.
Also speaking, the Acting Coordinating Director of OYSACA, Mrs Fausat Okanlawon, described the IBBSS as more than a routine survey, saying its findings would provide an important guide for strengthening Nigeria’s HIV response among key populations.
She said, “The IBBSS is more than a routine survey. Its findings will serve as a critical compass for Nigeria’s HIV response among key populations.”
The 2026 IBBSS is expected to provide updated evidence that will assist government, health agencies and development partners in evaluating existing HIV interventions and planning future programmes in Oyo State and other participating states.
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