The telecommunication company Etisalat Nigeria is partnering with UNAIDS to help disseminate information about the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria.
Under the arrangement, Etisalat Nigeria’s 21 million subscribers will receive regular information through SMS text messaging on how to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and where to seek relevant health-care services.
The two-year initiative will support the efforts of Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS to increase the number of pregnant women seeking prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services in the country.
In 2013, Nigeria accounted for 22% of mother-to-child transmission of HIV cases globally. In November 2014, Nigeria unveiled its national operational plan for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV for 2015–2016, which bolsters efforts to stop new infections among children and keep their mothers alive. The plan will help Nigeria to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2020.
“We are happy to partner with UNAIDS and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS for this unique cause. We recognize that a nation can only be economically buoyant if it has a healthy population.”
Ibrahim Dikko, Vice-President, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria
“This initiative is bound to avail more avenues of stopping new HIV infections in Nigeria. We welcome this new impetus Etisalat is bringing to the HIV response in Nigeria.”
John Idoko, Director-General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS
“Ending the HIV epidemic among children in Nigeria by 2020 will result in preventing 240 000 new HIV infections among children and an additional 460 000 new HIV infections among adults. In all, we are looking at preventing 340 000 AIDS-related deaths and a net benefit of US$ 30 billion, with 12 million life-years gained.”
Bilali Camara, UNAIDS Country Director for Nigeria and the UNAIDS Focal Point for the Economic Community of West African States
