HIV: Stakeholders’ collaboration key in preventing mother to child transmission

Chief executive officer, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, Patrick Sunday Dakum has said there is need for collaboration and coordination amongst stakeholders working in the area of the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in the country. He made the call during the science conference on the prevention of mother to child transmission […]

Chief executive officer, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, Patrick Sunday Dakum has said there is need for collaboration and coordination amongst stakeholders working in the area of the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in the country.
He made the call during the science conference on the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) organized by the Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance (NISA) in collaboration with HealthySunrise Foundation in Abuja.
“We have seen the necessity for collaboration between implementing partners, academic institutions, researchers and policy makers involved in the prevention of mother to child prevention of HIV,” he said.
Dakum said there is need to scale up the evidence that stakeholders already have,adding that Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance (NISA) plans to train study coordinators and implementing partners, and also focus on other aspects of HIV and probably TB and malaria in subsequent conferences.
Head of Prevention, National AIDs and STDs Control Programme (NASCP) Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike urged researchers in the country to carry government along in their findings,saying it is not enough to keep publishing research findings in international journals, that will not speak or impact on our local communities, adding that it will also help guard policy direction.
He added that emphasis should be laid on prevention than spending money on antiretrovirals.
NISA conference lead, and Professor of Pediatrics and Public Health, University of Nevada, Dr Echezona Ezeanolue, said Nigeria is one of 21 priority countries that together with India, account for 90% of pregnant women infected with HIV.
He said some of the major challenges to implementing evidence –based interventions include poor dissemination and adoption by the communities where they are needed. He added that this mostly because research finding from trials conducted in local communities are not properly shared with community leaders, local policy makers and stakeholders.