The National Agency For the Control of Aids says no fewer than 15,000 AIDS-related deaths occur each year in Nigeria.

NACA director-general Temitope Ilori stated this on Thursday in Abeokuta during an advocacy visit focused on achieving an AIDS-Free Generation and building a sustainable HIV response in Ogun.

Ms Ilori noted that approximately 140,000 children between the ages of 0 to 14 were living with HIV. She added that 22,000 new HIV infections were recorded so far this year. She expressed concern over the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission, paediatric HIV coverage remains below 33 per cent of the 95 per cent target.

She said Nigeria continues to face a significant challenge in preventing mother-to-child transmission of disease. Ms Ilori appreciated the Ogun government for equipping selected health facilities to provide anti-retroviral therapy.

She, however, expressed concerns that the state has a higher prevalence of 1.6 per cent than the national average of 1.4 per cent and the South West average of 1.2 per cent.

Ms Ilori said that no child in Ogun should be born with HIV, just as she tasked all pertinent partners to compile a comprehensive line list of children affected to expedite the country’s pediatric ART programme.

NACA said in 2023 alone, Nigeria recorded 75,000 new HIV infections and 45,000 HIV-related deaths. The agency said this was an alarming surge that highlights significant lapses in the national response to this epidemic.

(NAN)