To combat mother-to-child transmission and eradicate HIV/AIDS nationwide, the Nigerian government is intensifying early testing and treatment for exposed infants.
According to the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, the government will also ensure high-quality treatment and care for children and adolescents living with HIV.
Dr Alausa made this known during the establishment of the PMTCT and Paediatric AIDS Acceleration Plan Committee organized by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), in Abuja on Thursday.
He noted that the new team will oversee the acceleration efforts by agencies and officials at all government levels to curb the spread of the disease, particularly among children.
He said this will ensure that no child is born HIV-positive and that those who are positive receive quality care.
“We will also unlock value chains by collaborating with those willing to commence domestic production of HIV commodities, ensuring health security for our children,” he said.
The minister added that the committee will focus on closing the treatment gap for pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV and optimizing continuity of treatment towards eliminating vertical transmission.
PMTCT Challenges
In her remarks, the Director General of NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori, explained that the country is faced with a critical challenge in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Dr Ilori said despite creating a comprehensive national strategy, accompanied by financial commitment, PMTCT and paediatric HIV coverage remain critically low.
She said epidemiological estimates show that 140,000 children under 14 are living with HIV as of 2023, with 22,000 new infections and 15,000 AIDS-related deaths in children.
“Current PMTCT and pediatric HIV coverage remain alarmingly low at less than 33 per cent, far short of the 95 per cent target,” she said.
“As a family physician, I long to see that no child is born HIV positive in Nigeria, and as the Director General of NACA, I know that together we can change this infamous narrative of Nigeria’s contribution to the global burden of PMTCT and paediatric HIV,” she said.
In her speech, Funmi Adesanya, Nigeria Coordinator for the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), emphasized that significant progress in Nigeria is essential for the world to meet the global target of eliminating the epidemic.
She called for increased partnership across all levels of government and between public and private institutions, stressing that all stakeholders must commit to ending the epidemic by 2030.
“No child in Nigeria should be born with HIV and the US Government is committed to our partnership to ensure that this is a reality. Now is the time and we believe we have the right leadership represented in this room to achieve this goal,” she said.