HIV/AIDS Remains Public Health Threat- NACA DG
The Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr Temitope Ilori, has said that HIV/AIDS remained a public health threat.
Ilori said this on Thursday at a stakeholders’ meeting that followed the successful inauguration of the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission and Pediatric Antiretroviral Therapy Acceleration Committee for the State in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
The NACA DG noted that Osun’s 0.9% mother-to-child transmission ratio, which is below the national average, was an indication that Nigeria still has a huge burden of children born with HIV-AIDS.
She disclosed that in the year 2023, about 26,000 children were infected with HIV-AIDS, adding that during the same period, 15,000 children between the ages of 0 to 14 years also died of HIV-AIDS-related diseases.
“HIV-AIDS is still here with us. We are still having new infections. Just last year, we had 26,000 new infections among children aged 0-14 and 15,000 AIDS-related deaths among children 0-14.
“I believe the disease is still a public threat, and only when we work together with our state governors, our local government, and other agencies can we stop this narrative,” Ilori said.
Highlighting the purpose that the committee was meant to serve, Ilori explained that its primary focus was to address the treatment gap among pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV by ensuring that they receive continuous care and support.
She further said, “By enhancing PMTCT services and scaling up pediatric HIV care, the committee aims to reduce new HIV infections among children and improve health outcomes for HIV-exposed infants.
“The establishment of this committee signifies a renewed commitment to intensify efforts in these critical areas, striving to close existing gaps and ensure that no child is born with HIV in Nigeria.
“The inauguration in Osun State is part of a broader national strategy, with similar committees being launched in other states to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive approach to ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV across the country.”
