Infant HIV Infections, Deaths Threaten Disease Elimination

Experts have warned that the increase in diseases and deaths associated with HIV infections among infants has virtually eroded most of the previous gains towards elimination of Mother-To-Child Transmission (MTCT) in Nigeria. The warnings came during a just concluded two-day meeting at Bayview Hotel, Enugu, which assessed individual and collective efforts towards eMTCT of HIV with emphasis on communications through the mass media. The meeting was organised by members of Journalist Alliance for Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV in Nigeria(JAPiN) with support from United Nations Children Fund(UNICEF). A communiqué signed by Sola Ogundipe, National Coordinator, JAPiN said: “An undisputed observations show that the morbidity and mortality associated with pediatrics HIV infection has virtually eroded most of the previous gains towards elimination of MTCT in Nigeria.” More worrisome is the fact that not less than 60,000 new infections are recorded among children i