In a move to combat the significant burden of HIV transmission from mother to child in the country, the federal government has launched a renewed effort aimed at achieving Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) coverage of 95 percent.
The minister of state for health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known at the launch of the PMTCT and Paediatric AIDS Acceleration Plan Committee, in Abuja at the weekend.
He said despite testing approximately four million pregnant women in 2023, current PMTCT and pediatric HIV coverage stands at a mere 35 percent, far below the global target.
Alausa revealed that the ministry of health was focused on a comprehensive health sector renewal initiative which seeks to revolutionise HIV prevention and care for children.
According to him, the ministry, through the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), aims to ensure that no child is born HIV positive and that those already infected receive quality care.
The minister inaugurated a new multi-sectoral committee with strategic focus on early testing and optimised treatment for infants, children, and adolescents living with HIV.
He stated that the committee led by himself including technocrats and bureaucrats would collaborate closely with state governments, health ministries and partner organisations to bridge treatment gaps for pregnant and breastfeeding women with HIV, adding that it would also prioritise efforts to dismantle social and structural barriers hindering access to HIV services, with the aim of improving antenatal coverage and reducing under-5 mortality rate.
“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.
“Eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and ensuring care for all persons living with HIV, especially our children, aligns with the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President. As a country, this is a moral duty we owe to this generation,” Alausa said.
The director-general of NACA, Temitope llori, said “Nigeria faces a critical challenge in preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV and ensuring access to care for children living with HIV”
“Our epidemiological estimates say 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%, far short of the 95% target,” she added.
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