Ekiti To End Mother-to-child HIV/AIDS Transmission

Ekiti State government has vowed to ensure that no child is born with the human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), saying it would strive to reduce the prevalence rate of the virus in the state.

The state Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, stated this while playing host to the Director-General of NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori and her team during a courtesy visit to the Governor’s office in Ado- Ekiti.

He said the government has resolved to achieve this by ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV/ AIDS in the state through effective collaboration with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and other stakeholders in the health sector.

Governor Oyebanji said his administration would be intentional and strategic in its drive and intervention to prevent and eliminate mother-to-child transmission to bridge the infection gaps among newborns in the state.

He further said that the state government had always been committed to steps that have reduced the pandemic in the state.

He said, “If you follow comments on Ekiti State, we have done many things in that sector to ensure that we work concerning their welfare and availability of health facilities and consumables across the state. We are punching beyond our weight in that sector.

“I am happy with the emphasis on reducing transmission from mother to child; it is very critical; yes, the prevalent rate may be low here, but we need to watch the transmission from mother to child. Whatever we need to do, we will do because it is in our interest to keep our people healthy and protect the unborn children from contracting this disease,’’ the governor said.

While promising to rejig and strengthen the Local Action Committee on AIDS (LACA) at the local government level in the drive to ensure that the grassroots is effectively combed, he added that state government would provide the establishment of HIV Testing Services in the 16 local government areas as a gateway to HIV prevention, treatment, care and other support services.

Earlier, the Director-General of NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori, lamented the massive burden of children born with HIV/AIDS through transmission from mother to child and stressed the urgent need to end the menace of pediatric HIV in every part of Nigeria.