Experts in the health sector have called for increased awareness and interventions if Nigeria wants to eliminate mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis.
The experts, speaking at a media roundtable in Abuja on Tuesday, said some people, especially women, are unaware of the risk certain infections pose to their unborn babies.
The round table with the theme: “Getting to Zero Infected Babies: Triple Elimination HIV, Hepatitis B, Syphilis” was organized by the United States Center for Disease Control (CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION).
Speaking at the event, National Coordinator, National AIDS and STD Control Program (NASCP), Bashorun Adebobola, said the goal of every government, including Nigeria’s, is to ensure that no child is born with any infection.
Adebobola said that while the government, in partnership with other stakeholders, has been striving to achieve zero infected babies in the country, more interventions are still required.
She said one of the main steps is to ensure that all women attend antenatal care “as this is a way of harvesting those of them at risk of infections such as hepatitis and syphilis.”
She regretted that in Nigeria, only 67 percent of women attend antenatal clinics according to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).
“When you look at the 2022 year-end national data for PMTCT coverage, it’s around 34 percent. So for us to get to 90 percent or zero infections, we need to do more,” he said.
Increased mortality
Speaking at the event, US CDC Country Director Mary Boyd said the drivers of mortality in Nigeria remain primarily infections.
Ms. Boyd said that many of these infections can be prevented or treated.
“In second place are neonatal disorders. If you look at babies with neonatal disorders, some of them are due to vaccine-preventable diseases in their mothers. We, therefore, must support the mother and the baby to be well with regard to infections, ”she said.
He noted that maternal and infant mortality is a matter of “equity in health.”
“If before COVID-19 we had doubts about how to solve problems in the developing world, COVID-19 has reoriented all of us to understand that problems that affect any part of the world will eventually affect the entire world,” he said.
“For us as the US government, this is an area where we are committed to continuing to support countries to get through it.”
Ms Boyd noted that while progress has been made over the years to protect babies, improved efforts and interventions will go a long way toward reaching the goal of zero infected babies.
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“The global decline in neonatal mortality in infants is not declining as fast as other age groups. Therefore, we still have to double our efforts in these areas. If we can implement interventions like treatment and vaccines, then we can save more lives.”
Through the partnership with the Nigerian government, CDC remains committed to helping the country move forward by supporting the establishment of strong organizing programs, HIV prevention treatment programs, and investing in adolescent and youth health, she said. .
“We are also working with the government to establish an integrated health systems approach,” he said.
PMTCT intervention
CDC deputy director of programs Jerry Gwamna said Nigeria is a major contributor to mother-to-child transmission, accounting for about a third of all cases globally.
Mr. Jerry said that with the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) intervention, the risk of transmission can be significantly reduced or prevented entirely.
However, he noted that the risk of transmission of mother-to-child transmission without any intervention is around 15 to 45 percent.