The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), has said that the country contributes to a significant proportion of children living with HIV/AIDS around the globe.
A statement signed by NACA’s Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Toyin Aderibigbe, said the agency wants every Nigerian to always remember children living with HIV and their families.
Aderibigbe said the burden faced by the country due to this challenge can be attributed to the lack of the utilisation of the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV services by pregnant women in Nigeria.
Further, Aderibigbe said that while a substantial amount of progress had been recorded in the antiretroviral coverage for pregnant women living with HIV, the transmission of the virus from mother to child is still high.
She said that approximately 9,999 pregnant women tested positive in 2020 out of 2,504,678 pregnant mothers who tested for HIV.
The Director-General of NACA, Gambo Aliyu, said it is totally unacceptable for any child to be born with HIV in Nigeria. To commemorate this year’s children’s day, Aliyu said NACA is encouraging every Nigerian to join the agency in the fight against HIV in children.
According to him, this can be achieved by ensuring that all mothers are encouraged to get tested for HIV to prevent its transmission to their unborn children.
Aliyu said: “In 2020, Nigeria successfully increased Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) services sites to over 6,000 sites with 37,111 pregnant women receiving antiretroviral treatment.”
He also assured that an HIV-free generation is possible when all hands are on deck to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
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