Health Authorities in Nigeria and the United States of America on Saturday issued an urgent call-to-action to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria.
Representatives from the Centre for Integrated Health Programs (CIHP), the National AIDS and STI Control Program of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Nigeria collaborated to launch a Baby Shower Toolkit in Lagos.
The event, titled “Dissemination of the Toolkit for the Implementation of Baby Showers in Congregational Settings for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV,” was hosted by the CIHP.
Dr. Bola Oyeledun, Chief Executive Officer of the CIHP, highlighted that the innovative Baby Shower Toolkit leverages the influence of religious institutions to educate expectant mothers on preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV and the importance of prenatal care.
The toolkit provides guidelines for organizing these events, managing effective group sizes, and training health assistants to support the program.
“The initiative targets women through religious leaders equipped with toolkits to educate congregations.
Pregnant women attending these sessions will undergo testing for HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis, and sickle cell disease. Both they and their partners will also have access to testing.
HIV-positive mothers will receive antiretroviral drugs, significantly reducing transmission risks to their babies,” Oyeledun explained.
Dr. Timothy Efuntoye, US CDC Nigeria Representative, emphasized the importance of women knowing their HIV status before, during, and after pregnancy to apply preventive measures if at risk. “Women should adopt a culture of regular check-ups,” he said.
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He also highlighted the need for collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Baby Shower Toolkits at the grassroots level, noting that recent statistics indicated a significant number of those affected were women and children.
Dr. Hafsat Iyanda, PMTCT lead of the National AIDS and STI Control Program, underscored the initiative’s aim to save lives by harnessing the influence of religious communities.
Dr. Chuckwu Onwuchekwa, Senior Technical Advisor, added, “The Baby Shower initiative employs a congregational-based approach to offer HIV testing to pregnant women and their partners.
Places of worship serve as standardized venues for treatment and testing.
” He urged all pregnant women to enroll in antenatal care and stressed the importance of HIV-positive pregnant women receiving antiretroviral therapy to prevent transmission to their babies.
Dr. Folake Amimasheun, Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, highlighted the dual benefit of the initiative in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV and addressing gaps in pediatric ART.
Early identification of HIV-positive mothers enables immediate linkage to treatment, significantly reducing transmission risks to their babies.
Rev. Kehinde Babarinde, Lagos Coordinator of the Network of People Infected or Affected by HIV, emphasized that the program extends beyond testing.
Expectant mothers receive a “mama pack” containing essential birthing supplies such as antiseptic wipes, a razor blade for cord cutting, a cord clamp, soap, and towels.
Participation in the program is voluntary and free of charge.
All stakeholders, including government officials, religious leaders, healthcare professionals, and community members, are urged to actively support the program to ensure its success and reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria.
