140,000 children under 14 living with HIV

The Federal Government on Thursday, inaugurated a Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission and Paediatric AIDS Acceleration Plan Committee to reduce mother-to-child transmission, eliminate HIV/AIDs and scale up the implementation of early testing and treatments for exposed infants.

This was as the FG said 140,000 children under 14 are living with HIV as of 2023, with 22,000 new infections and 15,000 AIDS-related deaths recorded among children.

Speaking at the inauguration of the committee, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa said the government will be providing high-quality treatment and care for children, and adolescents living with HIV.

Alausa, the Chairman of the committee, noted that the committee is also tasked with ensuring the sustained commitment of all parties involved, including timely implementation of planned activities, addressing implementation bottlenecks, and monitoring performance against set targets.

He said, “A popular maxim states that doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results is futile. That is why the Ministry of Health is focused on a health sector renewal initiative. This initiative is centred on four main pillars: effective governance, an efficient, equitable, and quality health system, unlocking value chains, and health security.

“Achieving these goals is impossible if our children remain vulnerable to HIV. Through the National Agency for the Control of AIDS and the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme, we will provide effective governance for this programme.

“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.”

In her welcome remarks, the Director General of NACA, Temitope Ilori said Nigeria faces a critical challenge in PMTCT of HIV and ensuring access to care for children living with HIV.

Ilori said, “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 paediatric HIV coverage remain alarmingly low at less than 33 per cent, far short of the 95 per cent target.

“In 2021, national and state-level data analysis with consultations with states led to the development of Nigeria’s Global Alliance to End AIDS in Children Action Plan. This was designed to scale up PMTCT efforts and paediatric HIV addressing the coverage gaps.

“Despite this comprehensive strategy and accompanying financial commitment, our PMTCT and pediatric HIV coverage remains critically low.

“Consequently, the Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare constituted this acceleration plan committee to drive the implementation of this crucial initiative in line with the sector-wide approach to health care in Nigeria.”

On her part, the Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors Spouses’ Forum and wife of the Kwara State Governor, Olufolake AbdulRasaq applauded the Federal government’s efforts and emphasized the role of sub-national initiatives.

“The statistics surrounding the MTCT of HIV and paediatric AIDS in Nigeria from all accounts are alarming; hence the propriety of today’s event as it would no doubt bolster efforts and improve interventions in this regard,” AbdulRasaq said.

While pledging the support of the Nigeria Governors Spouses’ Forum to the initiative, she disclosed plans to enrol women living with HIV in the state’s health insurance programme and expand on her earlier initiative that included sickle cell patients.

The Nigeria Coordinator, US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Funmi Adesanya said remarkable progress must be recorded in Nigeria for the world to achieve the global target of eliminating the epidemic.

Adesanya called for increased partnership across all levels of government and between public, and private institutions, noting 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 added.

The Country Director and Representative of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Leo Zekeng assured of the support of UN agencies in Nigeria to the initiative while urging other stakeholders to recommit to the cause and fully support the initiative.

The Chairman of the Commissioners of Health Forum, Oyebanji Filani, emphasised that the goals are achievable if resources are properly invested.

Filani urged stakeholders to remain steadfast in supporting the programme, assuring that sub-national governments would do their part to ensure the success of the initiative.