The Federal Government has reiterated its determination to eliminate AIDS in children by the year 2030, reinforcing its commitment with a $200 million health sector allocation to close funding gaps following the suspension of USAID support.
Dr. Adebobola Bashorun, National Coordinator of the National AIDS and STDs Control Programme (NASCP), made this known on Monday in Abuja during a stakeholders’ workshop on the Global Alliance to End AIDS in Children.
Bashorun said Nigeria had recorded remarkable progress over the last two decades in tackling HIV/AIDS among both adults and children, largely due to the support of global partners such as the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund, and others.
“The difficult part of the race has been completed, and we have scaled up. We are not where we were 20 years ago,” he stated.
“Now, we are closer to ending the epidemic, sustaining treatment, reducing new infections, and ensuring that everyone who needs treatment receives it,” he added.
Bashorun disclosed that Nigeria was approaching 90 per cent treatment coverage for adults and had now shifted focus to achieving similar results for children.
As part of this renewed focus, he revealed that the Federal Government had approved $200 million for the health sector to fill the void left by the withdrawal of USAID funding. He highlighted ongoing investments in logistics, workforce development, and health infrastructure, while calling for improved implementation models.
“We now want models that can deliver more services with fewer resources. With the unlocking of the healthcare value chain, we can now quantify local content and enhance our approach,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria now boasts a robust national data reporting system—an important advancement from previous reliance on external implementing partners.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Modupe Elendu, the Prevention-of-Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) focal person at UNICEF, outlined the four pillars of the Global Alliance, which consists of 12 countries working to eradicate AIDS in children.
“These pillars include ensuring no child with HIV is left behind, preventing mother-to-child transmission, universal testing for all pregnant women, strengthening PMTCT programmes, and addressing barriers to effective implementation,” Elendu said.
She noted that although challenges persist, there has been significant progress.
“We now have comprehensive data systems covering the entire country, a big step up from past dependency on external data sources,” she said.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the workshop was aimed at reviewing the implementation of the Global Alliance Plan, identifying service delivery gaps for children and adolescents, and gathering stakeholder input for global reporting. It also seeks to strengthen coordination efforts and maintain long-term engagement with stakeholders.
Launched in August 2022, the Global Alliance works to close critical gaps in HIV services for children and adolescents across participating countries.
