Nigeria taking steps to prevent HIV, syphilis transmission from mother to child

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday that Nigeria has begun using test kits to prevent mother-child HIV/syphilis transmission, with the country planning to distribute four million test kits by 2022.
Dual test kits, which cost less than a dollar, are now available for pregnant women to prevent HIV and syphilis transmission from mother to child, according to the UN health agency.

Thanks to a new partnership between the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), MedAccess, and SD Biosensor, the low cost is possible.

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“Up to today, WHO has prequalified three different dual HIV/syphilis rapid tests and many countries have adopted these recommendations and are introducing the tests, particularly in the African Region.

“WHO estimates that in 2020, major donors and governments had procured more than five million of these tests – and that the number should continue to rise.

“Nigeria, for example, started a pilot programme in 2019 and is now moving toward implementation at the national scale. As the country plans to distribute four million in 2022.

“And yet, despite some important gains, global adoption of dual HIV/syphilis rapid tests in antenatal care is still far from ideal, with only 23 per cent of all countries reporting a national policy,’’ it stated.

Every year, approximately 1.3 million HIV-positive women become pregnant, with just under one million pregnant women contracting syphilis.

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Despite the availability of affordable diagnostics and treatment, undiagnosed and untreated infections continue to have a negative impact on the lives of many mothers and their children.

Rapid diagnostic tests, according to the WHO, are simple to use and can help to integrate and streamline services. They also make it possible for more countries to eliminate HIV and syphilis transmission from mother to child (EMTCT).

The new pricing is an exciting development for Meg Doherty, Director of WHO Global HIV, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Disease (STI) Programmes.

“It will help more countries adopt dual HIV/syphilis testing and accelerate progress toward EMTCT for both HIV and syphilis and deliver services for key populations, where both infections are common,” she said.

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Since 2019, WHO has recommended using these tests not only as the first line in antenatal care to help countries eliminate mother-to-child transmission but also as a way to cut costs.