Paediatric HIV Crisis Persists As Gaps Undermine Progress

Despite national commitments and visible progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Nigeria continues to grapple with high rate of paediatric HIV infections.

Every year, more than 9,000 children in the country are newly infected with the virus, a figure that underscores the urgent need to close lingering gaps in prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.
At the recently held National HIV Health Sector Symposium in Abuja, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, described the situation as both unacceptable and avoidable, stressing that although maternal HIV testing and access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) have improved, Nigeria still accounts for one in five children born with HIV globally.

Represented by the minister of women affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the First Lady said “Sadly, our women, children, and other vulnerable groups remain the most affected. Many babies born to HIV-positive mothers are not tested early enough, largely because their mothers are either unaware or uninformed about the risks.”

While Nigeria has made commendable progress, PMTCT (Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission) coverage has improved to 66 per cent, and Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) now stands at 57 per cent as of 2024, experts said the country’s success story is threatened by persistent structural and systemic challenges.

Minister of state for health and social welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, acknowledged the progress but noted that it is insufficient in the face of the country’s heavy paediatric HIV burden.

“Despite this progress, Nigeria still contributes over 9,000 new paediatric HIV infections annually. This is a clear call to action,” he said.

He noted that paediatric ART coverage has jumped from 29 per cent in 2023 to 74 per cent in 2024, a sign that focused interventions are working. Still, he stressed the need for intensified efforts to ensure that no child slips through the cracks.

The NASCP national coordinator, Dr. Adebobola Bashorun, highlighted key innovations that are beginning to reshape HIV care for children. From a dramatic increase in service delivery points, from 6,000 to over 40,000 using the hub-and-spoke model, to the deployment of advanced diagnostic tools such as mPIMA and GeneXpert machines, the system is expanding its reach and effectiveness.

According to Dr. Bashorun, more than 90% of HIV-positive pregnant women are now receiving ART, up from 34 per cent in 2023. The introduction of child-friendly ART formulations, such as DTG 10mg, and the adoption of multi-month dispensing (MMD) have also boosted treatment adherence and retention.
To tackle late-stage diagnosis, NASCP said it has launched a Paediatric Advanced HIV Disease (AHD) package in six high-burden states; Gombe, Kano, Lagos, Rivers, Anambra, and Benue.

NASCP also said that plans are underway to introduce TAF-based regimens for children and integrate HIV care into state health insurance schemes, aiming for long-term sustainability and universal access.
Dr. Salako did not mince words when he declared that the state of emergency on PMTCT remains in effect until no Nigerian child is born with HIV. He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to ending paediatric HIV and achieving the 2030 goal of eliminating mother-to-child transmission.

“Every pregnant woman living with HIV must have access to timely antiretroviral therapy. Every child living with HIV must be diagnosed and treated early. And every form of stigma that prevents this must be dismantled,” he said.

He added that President Bola Tinubu had already demonstrated this commitment by securing $200 million in emergency funding for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria after a U.S. funding cut in early 2025.

Even though about 1.7 million Nigerians are currently receiving free ART, experts warn that progress must be sustained, scaled up, and matched with targeted community mobilisation and increased domestic financing.

The national goal remains clear: to end PMTCT of HIV in Nigeria by 2030. But to get there, experts saie, Nigeria must sustain and scale its gains, expand community-based testing and treatment, ensure no pregnant woman is left untested or untreated, and reach every child at risk with life-saving care.