SEHAC Demands Elimination Of HIV Among Children

From Saka Bolaji – Minna.

A Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) in Niger state has set up a coalition to reduce and eliminate HIV among Children especially in rural areas with a bid to working towards a HIV free world.
The coalition, Society for the Elimination of HIV Among Children (SEHAC), will sensitise, mobilise and educate the people about HIV and work towards keeping their mothers alive with minimal stigmatisation.
At the Inaugural meeting of the coalition at the weekend in Minna, SEHAC Zonal Coordinator , Dr. Ismailia Garba, said many children had died through HIV because they were given birth to with the virus adding that if there is enough sensitisation, which is one if the main objectives of the coalition, infected mothers would know how to protect their unborn babies from the virus.
He said that there was need for more hands to be on deck if Nigeria will attain its 90-90 targets in eliminating the disease, stressing that ensuring children are not born with the virus will enable the effective management of the HIV virus.
The Niger state Coordinator of SEHAC, Mrs. Mary Jalingo, said Nigeria has the largest burden of mother to child transmission of HIV in the world and lamented in that the number of pregnant women visiting health facilities across the state remains low.
She stated that the number of facilities providing prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV across the state is also low, stressing the need to encourage women to come forward to prevent their babies from being born with HIV.
Her words: “With an estimated 260,000 children from 0 to 14 hard living with HIV, only 12 per cent have access to anti-retroviral drugs. This is what this Coalition seeks to address.”
Jalingo added that the coalition will embark on advocacy campaign for the availability of drugs and sensitise the community and mothers with HIV on how to reduce mother to child transmission, stating that there is a general belief that children everywhere can be born free of HIV with their mothers remaining alive.
“We intend sensitising leaders, providing leadership and innovation programme delivery, strengthening the capacity of women living with HIV, men and couples with HIV, prevention treatment programmes for mothers and children.”
Jalingo then emphasised on the need to ensure continuous care of infants and young children of HIV positive parents.