NACA Plans Boost for Domestic HIV Commodities Production

• The Director-General highlighted the challenges underscored by UNAIDS 2023 reports
  

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Speaking at the inauguration of the Kwara Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission and Pediatrics ART Acceleration Committee in Ilorin

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has announced plans to support the domestic production of HIV test kits and anti-retroviral drugs before the end of 2025, the agency’s Director-General, Dr Temitope Ilori, said on Friday.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Kwara Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission and Pediatrics ART Acceleration Committee in Ilorin, Dr Ilori outlined measures aimed at creating an enabling environment to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The agency’s strategy includes domestic production of key HIV commodities, enrolment of all citizens in the national health insurance programme, enhanced resource mobilisation to states, and strengthened advocacy and support for vaccine research and innovation.

“Achieving an AIDS-Free Generation is within reach and no child should be born HIV-positive in Kwara State,” Dr Ilori stated, adding that the committee was established to accelerate efforts in preventing mother-to-child transmission and scaling up paediatric ART.

The Director-General highlighted the challenges underscored by UNAIDS 2023 reports, which indicate that around 140,000 children aged 0-14 live with HIV, with 22,000 new infections and 15,000 AIDS-related deaths each year. Despite progress, prevention and treatment coverage for mothers and children remains below 33%, far short of the 95% target.

Dr Ilori also noted Kwara State’s HIV prevalence stands at 0.8%, below the national average of 1.4%, although disparities remain, particularly among women, who record a prevalence of 1.3% compared to 0.4% in men.

She called on all partners to assist in compiling a comprehensive database of children born to HIV-positive clients – a move she said was crucial for accelerating paediatric ART across the country. Dr Ilori also highlighted the need for government-led sustainability measures to reduce continued reliance on donor support.

The national acceleration committee, established by the Minister of State for Health, is being replicated at the state level to eliminate mother-to-child transmission and improve real-time programme monitoring.