NACA Adopting New Approach to Stop HIV Infection Among Children, Says DG 

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja 

The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Temitope Ilori, has said that the organisation is adopting a new multi-sectoral approach to fast-track efforts to end HIV and AIDS among children in Nigeria.

Nigeria has set the target of ending the scourge of HIV-AIDS disease latest by 2030.

She explained that the strategy included a new business model for the implementation of programmes to end Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and Paediatric HIV programmes.

Ilori, who disclosed this at the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission and Pediatric AIDS Acceleration Plan Committee launch in Abuja, said: “The objective of today’s meeting is to formally inaugurate the acceleration plan committee to provide oversight to the PMTCT and Paediatric HIV programme implementation in line with the three-one principle of one coordinating agency, one strategic framework and one Measurement and Evaluation system.” 

She said the agency had in 2021 carried out national and state-level data analysis with consultations with states.

She said the outcome of the exercise led to the development of Nigeria’s Global Alliance to End AIDS in Children Action Plan designed to scale up PMTCT efforts and paediatric HIV addressing the coverage gaps.

“Despite this comprehensive strategy and accompanying financial commitment, our PMTCT and pediatric HIV coverage remains critically low. Consequently, the 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,” she said.

Speaking further on the new multi-sectoral approach, the DG said that government-mandated structures must be supported to lead implementation at all levels in line with our New Business Model and explore the multi-sectoral approach to ending HIV and AIDS among our children.

“As a family physician, I long to see that no child is born HIV positive in Nigeria, and as the Director General of NACA, I know that together we can change this infamous narrative of Nigeria’s contribution to the global burden of PMTCT and paediatric HIV. 

“An AIDS-Free generation is possible, and together we can achieve that,” she said.