Children’s Day: NACA Urges Increased Action To Prevent HIV In Infants

As Nigeria marks Children’s Day 2025, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has urged all stakeholders to strengthen efforts to safeguard the health and future of Nigerian children by eliminating mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV.

In a statement signed by NACA’s Director General, Dr. Temitope Ilori, on Tuesday, she emphasized that “every child deserves a healthy start to life.”

Ilori highlighted that despite significant progress, “thousands of children in Nigeria are still born with HIV each year—a preventable tragedy.”

She stressed that Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) services remain among the most effective strategies in ending pediatric HIV and ensuring “that no child is born with the virus.”

“Children’s Day is a reminder that we must do everything within our power to protect the next generation.

“This includes ensuring that every pregnant woman has access to early testing, and if positive, is put on treatment and continuous care throughout pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding,” Ilori said.

Noting Nigeria’s recent progress, Ilori acknowledged that gaps remain, exacerbated by stigma and discrimination, which discourage women from seeking care.

“Hence, on this Children’s Day, we urge healthcare providers to ensure quality, respectful care for women and children; community and faith-based organizations to raise awareness and fight stigma; and families and caregivers to support women to access and adhere to treatment.

“An HIV-free generation is possible, but only if we act with urgency and compassion.

“Together, let’s celebrate our children by protecting their right to be born free of HIV,” she added.

In a related development, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, launched the ‘Free to Shine’ campaign in February — a nationwide initiative to reduce new HIV infections among women of reproductive age and prevent mother-to-child transmission.

Speaking at the launch of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development’s ‘Free to Shine’ campaign in Kaduna’s North-West zone, Tinubu underscored the critical nature of the initiative, noting Nigeria’s status as having “the highest burden of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

She said the campaign aims “to ensure that every child born with HIV receives the necessary treatment and support to thrive.”

Expressing concern about the high number of Nigerians living with HIV, Tinubu cited Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare statistics: “In 2024, there were over 100,000 children and nearly two million adults living with HIV. It is also reported that most infants born to HIV-positive mothers are not tested within the first two months of birth, largely because the mothers are either unaware or ignorant of the consequences of their inaction,” she said.