From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Federal Ministry of Health has expressed fears that cases of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria may double in few years to come due to the fact that less number of pregnant women are assessing anti-natal care, thereby, missing in access and knowledge on prevention of transmission of HIV/Aids from mother to child.
The implications, it predicted was that more HIV positive children would be born, knowingly or unknowingly, in few years time who might suffer one or two limitations in contributing to the socio-economic
It also highlighted the socio-economic implications of the situation and suggested an increased advocacy and funding for activities that would culminate in improved access to the health care facilities particularly among the rural women.
Assistant Director, National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Olugbenga Ijaodola, in a presentation at UNICEF sponsored media dialogue in Calabar, on Monday, stated that improved access to Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services has been the challenge.
He said that PMTCT currently reaches about a third quarter pregnant women in Nigeria, aside the fact that many states are yet to provide funds for HIV programs including the PMTCT.
He also disclosed that data available at the Federal Ministry of Health indicated that 63 percent of HIV positive women in Nigeria do not have access to PMTCT services for some reason, and three in four pregnant women in Nigeria are not captured in anti-natal care services, while Nigeria contributed 22, 000 new HIV infections among children.
In addition to that, he said that two third of expectant pregnancy are not captured in PMTCT reporting system, while over 90 percent of pregnant women who do show at health facilities reporting PMTCT often get tested for HIV/AIDS.
He, however, registered a concern that more pregnant women are testing positive for HIV few weeks/days to their delivery date as against the negative HIV test returned few weeks into the anti-natal services.
He said: “This is what we have found out lately and we are working towards ensuring that more enlightenment programmes are done to prevent further transmission which is our main goal.”
He proposed an expansion of anti-natal care services to reach more pregnant women particularly in rural areas, in addition to addressing the barrier of high anti-natal care fees which, often, discourage pregnant women from visiting health care facilities for anti-natal services.
Dr. Ijaodola also suggested that community based HIV testing that targets pregnant women should be strengthened as well as HIV testing services in private health care facilities
Meanwhile, Dr. Ewa Atana, the Chief Consultant, Pediatric Respiratory/Infectious Disease, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, in her presentation, painted a picture of how ignorance led to untimely death of patients.
She said that periodic testing remains the best option as many people are being treated for an undiagnosed ailment, thereby, resulting in futile efforts.