- Dr. Isiaq Adekunle Salako urges stakeholders to intensify efforts to prevent HIV transmission among children, highlighting inadequate interventions for pregnant women
- UN Resident Coordinator Mohamed M. Fall emphasizes the need for human rights protection to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Isiaq Adekunle Salako, has called on state governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders to intensify efforts to prevent HIV transmission among children.
Speaking at the World AIDS Day 2024 commemoration in Abuja, Dr. Salako revealed that nearly 40% of HIV-positive pregnant women in Nigeria are not receiving adequate interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
He emphasized that while progress has been made in reducing new infections, many child infections remain preventable.
Dr. Salako urged swift action to ensure that all mothers, children, and individuals at risk of HIV transmission have access to necessary prevention measures.
He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, to achieving the goal of ending AIDS by 2030.
UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed M. Fall, also stressed the possibility of eliminating AIDS as a public health threat if the human rights of those living with or at risk of HIV are upheld.
He called for sustained political will, equitable treatment access, community-led initiatives, and sustainable financing.
Dr. Temitope Ilori, Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), acknowledged the successes achieved in combating HIV.
However, she highlighted ongoing challenges, including dwindling donor funding, service delivery gaps, stigma, discrimination, and the increasing needs of vulnerable groups, such as internally displaced persons.
This call to action underscores the need for collaborative efforts to protect children from HIV and work toward the global goal of ending AIDS.