Foundation inaugurates programme to curb HIV among children

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has developed a community-based radio programme, “Mentor Mothers,” to promote prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and improve maternal health, targeting reduction of pediatric infections in FCT and other parts of the country. Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager, AHF Nigeria, Steve Aborisade, disclosed this during a focused discussion with PMTCT […]

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has developed a community-based radio programme, “Mentor Mothers,” to promote prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and improve maternal health, targeting reduction of pediatric infections in FCT and other parts of the country.
Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager, AHF Nigeria, Steve Aborisade, disclosed this during a focused discussion with PMTCT coordinators, mentor mothers and traditional birth attendants on Tuesday in Abuja.
Aborisade said the programme would air weekly on ASO Radio to address awareness gaps and improve access to prevention services, particularly at community level, while showcasing progress recorded in PMTCT interventions.
He emphasised that mother-to-child transmission of HIV remained a significant challenge in Nigeria, largely due to limited awareness among pregnant women about available prevention options and access to essential healthcare services.
“We realised that in Nigeria, one of the major gaps in HIV programming is pediatric HIV, that is transmission from mothers to their unborn children which remains quite prevalent, and we want to eliminate it,” he said.
He explained that the organisation was leveraging radio to reach wider audiences, especially women in underserved communities, with accurate information on prevention, treatment, and available maternal healthcare services.
According to him, the programme will run weekly for 13 weeks, forming a full quarter of targeted radio engagement aimed at improving awareness, behavioural change, and service uptake nationwide.
Hajiya Zainab Rabiu, a traditional birth attendant at Dankwa PHC, said “the initiative would help educate pregnant women attending antenatal clinics on HIV screening and enrolment in PMTCT services when necessary, well as making available testing kits and antiretroviral drugs readily available.” (NAN)