The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF says that 6,000 newborns in Kaduna State are at risk of contracting HIV in 2019 if elimination of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV interventions is not implemented.
Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Kaduna, Zakari Adam, made the assertion at a one-day meeting in Kaduna on Monday.
The meeting was organised for the wives of local government chairmen in the state to give feedback on level of implementation of 2018 demand creation activities on eMTCT of HIV.
Adam said that Kaduna State was one of the four states in the country being supported by UNICEF to pilot eMTCT by 2020 and end adolescent AIDs epidemic by 2030.
He said that though the state had recorded an increase in eMTCT coverage from 16 per cent in 2012 to 66 per cent in 2017, it was still challenged by low Antenatal Care attendance and hospital delivery.
He also said the state was equally battling with low awareness about the benefits of eMTCT and inadequate human resources for quality health services.
