Health experts and development partners have raised concerns that thousands of children in Nigeria remain undiagnosed and untreated for HIV, despite ongoing efforts to curb the epidemic.
The stakeholders spoke on Wednesday at the 2026 Paediatric Breakthrough Partnership Linking and Learning Meeting in Abuja.
The meeting, hosted by the Society for Family Health in collaboration with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, focused on improving outcomes for children living with HIV.
Representing the Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Family Health, Yusuf Dayyabu, said many children were still being missed.
“Too many children are still being missed. Too many infants are not diagnosed early enough. Too many opportunities to prevent transmission are lost,” he said.
Data presented at the meeting showed that since 2023, over 285,000 children, adolescents, and pregnant and breastfeeding women had been reached with HIV services, while 2,879 individuals were identified and enrolled in care.
However, national figures indicate that Nigeria still has one of the highest burdens of paediatric HIV globally, with about 260,000 children aged 0–14 living with the virus.
Only about 45 per cent of HIV-positive children are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy, compared to higher coverage among adults.
The National Coordinator of the National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme, Dr Adebobola Bashorun, described paediatric HIV as both a public health and moral concern.
Represented by Iyaniwura Ozimede, Bashorun said, “Some of the most vulnerable are those who had no choice in their exposure… our children. This is why the work we are reviewing today is not just programmatic, it is deeply human.”
She noted improvements in prevention of mother-to-child transmission but warned that major gaps remain.
“Too many HIV-positive pregnant women are still not being reached, especially in hard-to-reach communities. Too many HIV-exposed infants are lost to follow-up… and too many children remain undiagnosed in the community,” she added.
Also speaking, the Country Lead of the Paediatric Breakthrough Partnership, Dr Aisha Dadi, said the initiative was aimed at closing gaps in diagnosis and treatment through coordinated interventions.
She explained that children are harder to identify because they rely entirely on adults, adding that many fall through the cracks of the health system.
Dadi said targeted interventions, including engagement with traditional birth attendants and community actors, had improved treatment coverage to about 60–65 per cent in some areas.
Stakeholders also warned that over-reliance on donor funding could threaten sustainability if not matched with increased domestic investment
“The future of our HIV response must increasingly be driven by domestic resources and government ownership. This is not just a financial necessity; it is a strategic imperative,” Dayyabu said.
He urged stakeholders to adopt practical strategies to improve early diagnosis and ensure that no child is left behind.
Nigeria continues to record significant numbers of new infections among children annually, largely driven by gaps in prevention of mother-to-child transmission services.
Globally, Nigeria accounts for one of the highest shares of new paediatric HIV infections, highlighting the urgency of targeted interventions.
Punch/ Samuel Olokoba
