Over 300 children contract HIV daily in Africa – Mothers2mothers

…debuts in Nigeria to prevent further mother to child HIV transmission

By Tunde Opalana

An African non- governmental organization that provides integrated primary health care to families, Mothers2Mothers said it is alarming that about 300 children contract HIV every day in sub- Saharan Africa .

It also placed on record that 3,100 out of 4,000 new global HIV infections among girls and young women (ages 15-24) each week occur in the region.

It added that one out of 14 children born in sub- Saharan Africa dies before age 5.

Country Director of Mothers2Mothers in Nigeria, Dr. Chinyere Emmanuel made the disclosure on Wednesday at the official launch of the organization in Nigeria.

She said over 600 million people across Africa cannot access basic health services, which consequently resulted in approximately 70 percent of global maternal death in 2020.

Debuting in Nigeria as the 11th African nation since inception in 2001, she said mothers2mothers from an initial focus on preventing mother to child transmission of HIV, today “provides integrated health care services from pregnancy and childhood to adolescent including reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, early childhood development and tailored adolescent services”.

The country Director said for over two decades, mothers2mothers has dedicated itself to eradicating pediatric HIV and supporting mothers and children in some of the most underserved communities on African continent.

“Since our beginnings in 2001 at a single site in Cape Town, South Africa, we have expanded our reach across the African continent. Today’s launch makes Nigeria the 11th African country we are currently working in. Over the past 20 years, we have maintained our focus on ending paediatric HIV, while also evolving to provide integrated primary healthcare and educational support to women, children, and families through our peer-led, community-centred Mentor Mother model.

“Nigeria is a country of incredible diversity and resilience; however, it also faces significant health challenges, particularly in combatting HIV. Currently, just 34% of women receive HIV treatment and care services. Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate is 512 per 100,000 live births…seven times higher than the 2030 SDG target.

“Meanwhile, the under-five mortality rate is 104 per 1,000, four times the SDG target. Behind these statistics are real families suffering because of preventable death or illness. I am sure we will all agree there is an urgent need to expand access to essential healthcare, particularly for mothers and young children.

“I am incredibly proud to report that in 2023-together with our partners-we achieved virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV for the tenth consecutive year. In fact, our rate for enrolled clients in 2023 was ZERO. And, according to our latest projections, the maternal and child mortality rates for our enrolled clients are already below the 2030 SDG targets…six years ahead of schedule.

The organisation started operations in Nigeria in July, 2024 and has deployed 15 Mentor Mothers across five facilities and surrounding communities in the Federal Capital Territory.

“Already, their impact is being felt. We set a target to enrol 5,000 clients into our services by December 31, and I am proud to share we have already enrolled over 3,000 we are on course to meet and exceed our target. We are already planning our next steps. I am pleased to share that we have just trained a new cohort of 30 Mentor Mothers who have recently started working in 21 additional sites. This is an incredible achievement for such a young team, showing our commitment to support Nigeria in tackling the health issues that affect so many families,” she said.

At the launch to identify with mothers2mothers and deliver goodwill.mesdages were representatives from government agencies, development partners and donor agencies such as the Federal Ministry of Health, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, National AIDS and STI Control Programme, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the FCT Department of Public Health, FCT Primary Health Care Board, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, the local health facilities, and community leaders.