The federal government has reiterated its commitment to ending mother-to-child HIV transmission by embarking on a comprehensive overhaul of its Prevention of Mother-to-child Transmission (PMTCT) and pediatric HIV programs as it inaugurated an Acceleration Plan Committee on Thursday.
The government highlighted the unacceptable reality that 140,000 children under 14 are living with HIV as of 2023, with 22,000 new infections and 15,000 AIDS-related deaths among children.
More alarming, it said, is the fact that current PMTCT and pediatric HIV coverage remains critically low at less than 33%, far below the 95% target.
To address the challenges, the newly established multi-sectoral committee, chaired by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, is tasked with ensuring the sustained commitment of all parties involved, including ensuring the timely implementation of planned activities, addressing implementation bottlenecks, and monitoring performance against set targets.
While inaugurating the committee, the Minister emphasized the urgent need for the body, stating that despite all government efforts, the results have been far from encouraging.
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 centered 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 (NACA) and the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), we will provide effective governance for this program.
“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”.
Earlier, Temitope Ilori, NACA’s Director General, who decried the country’s incidence prevalence, highlighted what led to the concept of the Committee
“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 pediatric HIV coverage remain alarmingly low at less than 33%, far short of the 95% 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”.
In her remarks, the chairperson of the Nigeria Governors spouses’ forum, Amb. Olufolake AbdulRasaq, wife of Kwara State Governor, applauded the Federal government’s efforts and emphasized the role of sub-national initiatives.
“The statistics surrounding the mother-to-child transmission of HIV and pediatric 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,” she said.
While pledging the support of the Nigeria Governors Spouses’ Forum to the initiative, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRasaq commended the establishment of the committee at the sub-national levels, emphasizing its importance in achieving the set objectives.
She also disclosed plans to enroll women living with HIV in the state’s health insurance program, expanding on her earlier initiative that included sickle cell patients.
The United States Government, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) highlighted the importance of partnerships in meeting the country’s targets.
Having invested $8.3b over the past 21 years to combat HIV in Nigeria, Funmi Adesanya, PEPFAR Coordinator, assured of the commitment to the success of the initiative
“We commend the leadership of the Government of Nigeria for your vision and for convening us to address this urgent issue because it is an emergency.
“No child in Nigeria should be born with HIV and the U.S. government is committed to our partnership to ensure that this is a reality,” she said.
Leo Zekeng, the Country Director and Representative of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Nigeria, stated that funding the efforts against HIV/AIDS is not a challenge, as resources are available through 2026.
While emphasizing the need to channel efforts in the right direction, Zekeng expressed confidence in the committee’s ability to deliver on its mandates.
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He 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 the health forum, Oyebanji Filani, emphasized that the goals are achievable if resources are properly invested.
He urged stakeholders to remain steadfast in their support for the program, assuring that sub-national governments would do their part to ensure the initiative’s success.
The committee is expected to focus on early testing; optimize treatment and care for infants, children, and adolescents living with HIV; close treatment gaps for pregnant and breastfeeding women; and address social and structural barriers that hinder access to services is also a priority.