The federal government Wednesday renewed its commitment to ending pediatric HIV in Nigeria and scaling up access to Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) services.
Speaking at the symposium held in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, stated that the elimination of pediatric HIV remains a top national health priority, calling it a “state of emergency” that will persist “until no Nigerian child is born with HIV.”
The stated this at a stakeholders’ national HIV health sector symposium to unite behind a common goal of eliminating new HIV infections among children.
Dr. Salako highlighted progress made in the national HIV response, including increased PMTCT and early infant diagnosis coverage rates, which rose to 66% and 57% respectively in 2024, and a dramatic leap in pediatric ART coverage from 29% to 74% within the same year. Despite these gains, he acknowledged that Nigeria still contributes over 9,000 new pediatric HIV infections annually, making it one of the worst-affected countries globally.
“This is a clear call to action. We must identify and treat every child living with HIV and ensure no pregnant woman is left without timely antiretroviral care. The fight is not over until we achieve universal access to HIV services and eliminate new infections in children.
“Science exists. The tools are available. What remains is the will to scale up what works and reach those left behind. We will not rest until every Nigerian child is born HIV-free,” Dr. Salako said.