By Laide Akinboade, Abuja and Beauty John,    Lafia

No fewer than 13,000 children between the ages of 0 -14, were killed by the dreaded Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in 2019, the United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), has revealed.

UNICEF disclosed this in a report to commemorate the 2020 World on Tuesday in Abuja.

“Approximately, every minute and 40 seconds, a child or young person under the age of 20 was newly infected with HIV last year, bringing the total number of children living with HIV globally to 2.8 million, UNICEF said in the report released Tuesday.

“In Nigeria, about 22,000 new infections occurred in children aged 0-14 years in 2019.

The UNICEF report warned that children were being left behind in the fight against HIV.

“Prevention efforts and treatment for children remain some of the lowest amongst key affected populations. In 2019, a little more than half of children worldwide had access to life-saving treatment, significantly lagging behind coverage for both mothers (85 per cent) and all adults living with HIV (62 per cent). Nearly 110,000 children died of AIDS that year. In Nigeria 13,000 children aged 0-14 years died of AIDS-related causes in 2019,” the report stated.

It further noted that despite some progress in the decades-long fight against HIV and AIDS, deep regional disparities persist among all populations, especially for children.

 “Paediatric coverage of antiretroviral treatment is highest in the Middle East and North Africa, at 81 per cent, and lowest in West and Central Africa (32 per cent). In Nigeria, it is 36 per cent,” the report lamented.

UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Peter Hawkins, said: “The world is still struggling with the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, but there is now hope for a vaccine. But we must remember that there is no vaccine for HIV.

“Hundreds of thousands of children continue to suffer the impacts of the HIV epidemic. Children are still getting infected at alarming rates, and they are still dying from AIDS. Even with improvements in recent years, HIV treatment access for children and adolescents is unacceptably low, and much more needs to be done to ensure children get the treatment they need and deserve.”

The report noted, “COVID-19 has interrupted vital HIV treatment and prevention services globally, putting countless more lives at risk.

“The COVID-19 crisis has also further exacerbated inequities in access to life-saving HIV services for children, adolescents and pregnant mothers everywhere.

“Almost 9 out of 10 children and adolescents of the estimated 2.8 million children aged 0–19 living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa”.

In a recent UNICEF survey of 29 HIV priority countries, one third responded that service coverage for children, adolescents and women living with and vulnerable to HIV is lower by 10 per cent or more, compared with pre-pandemic numbers.

UNAIDS’ HIV service disruption data, cited in the report, further illustrate the impact of necessary control measures, supply chain disruptions, lack of personal protective equipment, and the redeployment of healthcare workers on HIV services.

In the months of April and May, coinciding with partial and full lockdowns, paediatric HIV treatment and viral load testing in children in some countries declined between 50 to 70 per cent, and new treatment initiation fell by 25 to 50 per cent.

 WHO Raises the Alarm Over Rising Infections

The World Health Organization, (WHO) has raised the alarm that new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths were not reducing fast enough to meet the Sustainable Development Goal target of ending AIDS epidemics by 2030 in the region.

The global health body said 1 million people were infected and 440,000 lives lost to AIDS in the African region in 2019.

In its message to mark this year’s World AIDS Day with the theme: ”Global solidarity and shared responsibility,”  WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti disclosed that children living with HIV are not being adequately identified for HIV treatment.

“Girls and women aged 15–24 years account for 37 per cent of all new HIV infections, and stigma and discrimination, especially against key populations continues to create barriers to service access, Moeti stated.

She said globally, there are 38 million people living with HIV and 67 percent of them are living in the WHO African Region. Moeti said the more than 1 million people in the Region newly infected with HIV, account for 60 percent of the global total.

 Speaking on this year’s theme, Moeti said the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the need for the world to come together, with determined leadership from governments and communities to sustain and expand access to essential services, including HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care.

 She added that the pandemic was making it even more challenging for countries to provide these services, particularly in areas affected by conflict, disasters, outbreaks, and rapid population growth.

“Despite these challenges, significant progress is happening in African countries. 2020 is a milestone year towards ending AIDS epidemics and 81% of people living with HIV know their status. Among them, 70 percent of adults and 53 per cent of children are receiving lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART).

 “Eighty-five percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV are on ART, which protects their health and prevents HIV transmission to their new-born infants.”

She commended governments, partners and communities who have contributed to the progress on HIV in the Region, and came up with innovative ways to keep services going during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Osinbajo Commissions Infectious Disease Centre in Nasarawa

Meanwhile, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has commissioned a world class Infectious Disease Diagnostic and Research Centre in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa state.

Osinbajo, while commissioning the edifice on Tuesday, described it as a phenomenal achievement, adding that he was impressed with the masterpiece, which is most likely the best in West-Africa.

According to him, “the Centre here comprises about fifty level three laboratory,  a molecular laboratory, an infectious disease isolation unit and epidemiology unit as well,” he said.

The VP said that the achievement recorded by the Nasarawa state government deserved commendation and celebration.

 “No question at all, anywhere in this world, this type of achievement deserves to be celebrated.

“Nasarawa state is not by any means the wealthiest state in the country but look at what the state have and what is allocated. It certainly does not come anywhere near the top states of the federation, but with vision the state has proved that vision is even more important than money” he stated.

Earlier, the state governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule said on assumption of office in May, 2019, he made a solemn commitment to complete projects initiated by the previous administration in the State.

“We also resolved to improve on the living conditions of the citizenry through the provision of quality healthcare service.

 “It is for this reason that we have committed enormous resources towards the completion of the Nasarawa State Infectious Disease and Research Centre considered critical in the diagnosis of different viral infections,” he said.

Governor Sule said that the facility would be used for the diagnosis of several infectious diseases, such as Lassa fever, yellow fever, measles, cerebrospinal meningitis, as well as Covid-19.

 “However, with the establishment of the Centre and its full operation, the perennial diagnosis and management challenges of infectious diseases previously experienced will become a thing of the past and treatments of such ailments will be greatly enhanced,” the governor stated.