As part of efforts to address gaps in testing and Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and achieve zero transmission to newborns, the Federal Government has inaugurated the PMTCT/Pediatrics AIDS Acceleration Plan Committee in line with global best practices.
Inaugurating the committee in Abuja on Thursday, organized by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the Federal Government was working to ensure that Nigeria reverses the negative narrative of its contribution to the global burden of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Alausa said the committee will focus on closing the treatment gap for pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV and optimizing continuity of treatment towards eliminating vertical transmission.
Experts say Nigeria needs to tackle mother-to-child transmission of HIV to meet the 2030 target.
Evidence shows that Nigeria faces a critical challenge in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV and ensuring access to care for children living with HIV.
A 2022 data by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS estimates that no fewer than 170,000 children under 14 years are living with HIV; with 26,000 new infections and 17, 000 AIDS-related deaths in children in Nigeria.
Current PMTCT and pediatric HIV coverage remain alarmingly low at less than 35 percent far short of the 95 percent target.
In 2021, Nigeria’s Global Alliance to End AIDS in Children Action Plan was developed to scale up pediatric HIV care and eliminate vertical transmission of HIV between mothers and their children. The minister expressed worry that three years after the action was developed, the country was yet to see significant progress, as service coverage had remained below 35 percent.
Alausa noted that eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and ensuring care for all persons living with the infection, especially children, aligns with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
The minister said, “As a country, this is a moral duty we owe to this generation. In line with global best practices, I will inaugurate this multi-sectorial committee, comprising technocrats and bureaucrats, to ensure we deliver on this mandate, tracking implementation along the four pillars of our plan.
“Early testing and optimized comprehensive, high-quality treatment and care for infants, children, and adolescents living with HIV and children exposed to HIV. Closing the treatment gap for pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV and optimizing continuity of treatment towards eliminating vertical transmission.
“Preventing and detecting new HIV infections among pregnant, breastfeeding adolescents and women and addressing social and structural barriers that hinder access to services.”
While primarily addressing mother-to-child transmission of HIV and pediatric HIV, the minister also said this initiative will improve antenatal coverage, and health outcomes for women of childbearing age, and reduce under-five mortality rates.
“We will collaborate with executive governors, their spouses, state ministries of health, state agencies for the control of AIDS, lead implementing partners in the states, and all other stakeholders to achieve this goal at the sub-national level. We will also create committees to track their states’ responses and provide feedback to us at the national level.
“As you are aware, Nigeria contributes 25 percent of the global burden of HIV transmission between mothers and their children. Despite testing approximately 4 million pregnant women in 2023, our PMTCT and pediatric HIV coverage remains at about 35 percent, falling significantly short of the 95 percent target”, Alausa said. In her welcome address, the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr Temitope Ilori, said she longs to see that no child is born HIV positive in Nigeria, affirming that by working together, the agency and other stakeholders could change the infamous narrative of Nigeria’s contribution to the global burden of PMTCT and pediatric HIV.
Ilori said Nigeria faces a critical challenge in PMTCT of HIV and ensuring access to care for children living with HIV.
The NACA DG noted, “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 percent, far short of the 95 percent 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 pediatric HIV addressing the coverage gaps.
According to her, despite this comprehensive strategy and accompanying financial commitment, the country’s PMTCT and pediatric HIV coverage remains critically low.
“Consequently, the Honorable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare constituted this acceleration plan committee to drive the implementation of this crucial initiative in line with the sector-wide approach to health care in Nigeria.
“The objective of today’s meeting is to formally inaugurate the acceleration plan committee to provide oversight to the PMTCT and Pediatric HIV program implementation in line with the three-one principle of one coordinating agency, one strategic framework, and one M&E system.
“The government-mandated structures must be supported to lead implementation at all levels in line with our New Business Model and explore the multi-sectorial approach to ending HIV and AIDS among our children”, she said. Also speaking, US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Nigeria’s Country Coordinator, Funmi Adesanya, said, “The US Government through the PEPFAR has invested 8.3 billion US Dollars over the last 21 years to eliminate HIV as a public health threat by 2030 here in Nigeria.
“These resources have been invested in health systems strengthening, health products including ARVs and rapid test kits, Human Resources and surge staff.
“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. Now is the time and we believe we have the right leadership represented in this room to achieve this goal.”
SOURCE: PUNCH NEWS
