In commemorating the 2020 International Women’s Day, IWD, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AHF-Nigeria, has called on stakeholders to accelerate efforts and close service gaps in eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS.
This is to safeguard the lives of unborn children says the organisation’s Advocacy & Marketing Manager, Steve Aborisade in a statement.
He said a documentary on the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, PMTCT, will be screened on the 16th of March in Abuja.
AHF-Nigeria Country Program Director, Dr. Echey Ijezie explaining the focus on PMTCT said “It has to do with the successes that has been recorded and, about what more that can be achieved in ensuring women who are HIV positive give birth to HIV free babies.’’
He said it is important because there is “the need to moderate the barriers hindering PMTCT services uptake in the country by several women and, bridging those gaps to ensure Nigeria eliminates mother to child transmission of HIV.’’
The PMTCT is also known as prevention of vertical transmission. It refers to interventions to prevent transmission of HIV from an HIV-positive mother to her infant during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or breastfeeding.
Approximately one-third of children born to mothers who are living with HIV will acquire HIV infection in the absence of preventive measures USAID states on its website.
Celebrated annually on March 8, the IWD campaign seek to inspire change for gender equality.
The 2020 campaign theme is #EachForEqual.
