Nigeria's research institute reports zero mother-to-child HIV transmission among women on treatment

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has reported that all pregnant women receiving HIV care at its facility have delivered babies without transmitting the virus to them.

This was revealed during the keynote address delivered by NIMR’s Director-General, John Obafunwa, at the opening of the 7th National Council on AIDS (NCA) on Tuesday in Lagos.

Mr Obafunwa, a professor, represented the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako.

He noted that as of June 2025, the institute was providing HIV care to 5,444 adults, 64 children and 16 pregnant women.

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He said all the women enrolled in its Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme have delivered HIV-negative babies.

Mr Obafunwa said that since 2004, the institute has managed 8,086 HIV cases, including over 7,000 pregnant women.

In July 2025 alone, he noted that NIMR enrolled 120 new adults, three children, and 24 pregnant women in HIV care at the institute.

Gaps, challenges

Mr Obafunwa said the burden of HIV remains high and that many people living with the virus are still undiagnosed in the community.

He referenced a research initiative where blood samples collected from community screenings will also be tested for drug levels to measure treatment adherence.

He said transport costs and lack of employment remain key reasons patients drop out of care.

He called for improved government support to help people living with HIV gain access to income, jobs, and other social support systems.

Mr Obafunwa expressed NIMR’s readiness to work with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) on research and surveillance.

He said the institute has the technical expertise to support national HIV goals.

Expanded efforts

**Opening ceremony of the 7th NCA in Lagos**

During its media chat in June, NIMR’s Director of Research, Oliver Ezechi, explained that the HIV prevention programme launched to ensure safe childbirth for women living with HIV, uses scientific methods already proven effective in developed countries.

Mr Ezechi noted that one of the key problems the programme aimed to solve was the tendency of health centres to turn away HIV-positive women during delivery.

“We observed that health facilities often turn away HIV-positive women once their status is known.

“One key action we took was applying proven scientific methods used in developed countries to ensure effective prevention of HIV transmission.

“We are now seeing results, as our paediatric HIV clinic is nearly empty, showing the prevention programme is highly effective,” he stated.

He added that other ongoing HIV-related studies include youth-friendly HIV self-testing tools and the integration of hypertension care into HIV treatment in Nigeria.

Global concerns

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), countries in West and Central Africa, including Nigeria, have contributed significantly to the reduction of new HIV infections among children under five.

Between 2000 and 2024, the region accounted for around 14 per cent of the 4.4 million infections prevented through the global prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes.

However, despite progress, UNICEF warns that current efforts are insufficient to meet the 2030 global targets.

“But progress is not fast enough to reach the 2030 targets set by UNAIDS and partners as part of the UNAIDS Global Strategy to End AIDS.

“Acceleration of treatment for all pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV is still needed to achieve elimination of new infections among children and halve HIV-related deaths among pregnant women and new mothers,” it noted.

Nigeria’s sustainability plan

NACA's DG, Temitope Ilori at the 7th NCA in Lagos — **NACA’s DG, Temitope Ilori at the 7th NCA in Lagos**

Speaking at the Council, NACA’s Director-General, Temitope Ilori, said Nigeria is now prioritising domestic solutions to keep its HIV response on track.

These include expanding access to health insurance, strengthening local drug manufacturing, and reducing dependence on international donors.

READ ALSO: NACA targets health insurance, local drugs to sustain HIV response

Mrs Ilori noted that the National Council on AIDS is the highest policy platform for coordinating Nigeria’s HIV response.

She described it as a forum for reflection, realignment, and renewed action.

“This Council is not just a statutory obligation under the NACA Establishment Act of 2006,” she said.

She identified three core focus areas of the 7th Council: sustainability amid changing donor support, multi-sectoral collaboration, and sub-national strengthening.