No Nigerian child should be born with HIV – Jonathan

                                         

President Goodluck Jonathan has assured that by 2016 no Nigerian child would be born positive with HIV/AIDS.
The president was reacting to the recent protest staged by the Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS, where the victims accused the FG of abandoning them.
He also noted that the Federal Government had “begun the release of funds for the implementation of the President’s Comprehensive Response Plan for HIV/AIDS.”

Jonathan said his administration was aware that international partners had withdrawn their funding support for some aspects of HIV/AIDS services in the country.

Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, expressed these feeling on Thursday in Abuja during the inauguration of the national operational plan for the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS 2015-2016.

Jonathan said, “No Nigerian child should be born with HIV. Together we shall end the AIDS epidemic among children. I, therefore, launch and present to you the eMTCT 2015-2016. The 2010 National Sentinel Survey for pregnant women attending antenatal care in Nigeria recorded a HIV prevalence of 4.1 per cent, while the population survey carried out in 2012 observed an HIV prevalence of 3.4 per cent. Nigeria records an estimated 6 million births annually and out of this number, a huge percentage of deliveries are outside health facility settings”.

The President also stated the efforts being put in place by his administration since 2011 to achieve 2016 eMTCT target.

He said, “In addition to these, the Federal Government through the Subsidy Re-investment Program and other programs has initiated Health Systems Strengthening projects that are critical to achieving the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV in various communities”.

At the event, the Director-General of National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Prof. John Idoko said, “Nigeria has made slow progress in the a prevention of Mother To Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS with 30 per cent coverage by 2013 due to a number of structural challenges including inadequate services at Primary Health Care level, poor attendance of pregnant women at antenatal services, and many women preferring to go to traditional birth attendants, Churches and Mosques to access antenatal and delivery services”.