Wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, has said that one in every five children born with HIV globally is a Nigerian, emphasising the need to accelerate efforts to ensure that no child is born with HIV in the country and that no mother is left behind in accessing treatment.

Speaking at the National HIV Health Sector Symposium on prevention of Mother-to-Child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV and paediatric HIV treatment coverage in Nigeria, organised by the National HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, and STIs Control Programme (NASCP) of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, yesterday in Abuja, Tinubu emphasised the need to make HIV testing and treatment available in every country and provide early testing for all exposed infants.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, stated that Nigeria had made commendable progress as more women were getting tested during pregnancy and were accessing treatment, but major gaps still remained.

In his keynote address, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, noted that Nigeria was employing a multi-pronged approach to control HIV/AIDS, focusing on prevention, treatment and care, including the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, voluntary medical male circumcision, social and behavioural change communication, access to pre and post exposure prophylaxis.

Pate, who was represented by the Minister of State for Health, Dr Adekunle Salako, observed that the symposium offered a platform to review, reflect on, develop, and harmonise strategies that would intensify efforts in identifying and treating paediatric HIV cases.