Lagos moves to stop Mother- to-Child HIV transmission

By: Chioma Umeha As the world counts down to 2015, experts are anxious over the increasing rate of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in Lagos State. The State is one of the 12 States, in addition to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and it accounts for 70 per cent of the country’s burden of MTCT of HIV. To eliminate MTCT of HIV in line with Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) number six, there is urgent need for the State to increase efforts, if it must meet the 2015 deadline. Data from the Lagos State Bureau of Statistics confirmed that with a population of 22 million, Lagos, with a HIV prevalence of 5.1, is one of the 12+1 States that account for 70 percent of the nation’s burden of children born with HIV based on the 2010 National HIV Sero – Prevalence Sentinel Survey. In view of this, the State government has commenced a campaign to accelerate the Prevention of Mother-to-child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) aimed at reducing maternal death in the State. It is against t