The National Agency For the Control of Aids (NACA), has expressed its concerns over the transmission of Aids from mother to child in 2024.
The Director-General, NACA, Mrs Temitope Ilori represented by Dr James Anenih, the Director of Community Prevention and Care Service, said this during an advocacy visit focused on achieving an AIDS-Free Generation and building a sustainable HIV response on Thursday, in Ogun State.
She said that Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT), paediatric HIV coverage remains below 33 per cent of the 95 per cent target.
She noted that 140,000 children between the ages of 0 to 14 were living with HIV.
Ilori said that no child deserves to be born with HIV, she tasked all relevant partners to compile a comprehensive line list of children affected to expedite the country’s paediatric ART program.
“The expectation is to have an AIDS-free generation at this point we are trying to make sure that all hands are on deck.
“We’re looking at all of the various resources available to us and holding ourselves accountable so we can do more with reducing mother to child transmission or reducing the number of children born HIV positive,” Ilori added.
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Ilori appreciated the Ogun government for equipping selected health facilities to provide anti-retroviral therapy.
“We acknowledge the great work your excellency has done in upgrading and equipping selected health facilities to provide anti-retroviral therapy (ART) from 22 sites in 2019 to 28 sites in 2023.
In her response, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker stressed that the state’s HIV prevalence rate was critical.
She thanked the agency for visiting and inaugurating an 18-man PMTCT and Paediatric ART committee.
She said that the committee would supervise the care of HIV-positive pregnant women to ensure that they do not have sufficient virus to infect their unborn children.
Coker added that the committee would also place children who are positive on treatment to avoid the spread.
