The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Isiaq Adekunle Salako, has called on state governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders to intensify efforts in preventing HIV transmission among children.
Speaking at a commemoration of World AIDS Day 2024 in Abuja, the minister said nearly 4 out of 10 HIV-positive pregnant women in Nigeria are not receiving the necessary interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
He emphasised the alarming impact of HIV on children, stressing that while progress has been made in reducing new infections, many child infections remain preventable.
He called for urgent action to ensure that every mother, child, and individual at risk of HIV transmission receives the necessary interventions.
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Dr. Salako reiterated the federal government’s commitment, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to achieving the goal of ending AIDS by 2030.
Mohamed M. Fall, the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, said ending AIDS as a public health threat is possible if the human rights of all people living with and at risk of HIV are respected.
He stressed the need for sustained political leadership, equitable access to treatment, community-led engagement, and sustainable financing.
Dr Temitope Ilori, Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), acknowledged the successes achieved but also highlighted the challenges that remain, including dwindling donor funding, service delivery gaps, stigma, discrimination, and rising needs in vulnerable populations such as internally displaced persons.
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