Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has announced a major breakthrough in the fight against mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Rivers State, achieving over 95 percent HIV testing acceptance among pregnant women between 2020 and 2023.
Dr. Stanley Idakwo, Project Director of the Rivers ASPIRE Project at IHVN, revealed the development during a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
He described the milestone as the result of sustained community engagement, consistent peer mentorship, and effective health system strengthening.
According to Idakwo, data from the District Health Information System (DHIS) show that HIV testing among pregnant women has remained between 95 and 100 percent since 2020, following intensive counseling and mentorship programs across health facilities.
> “This achievement is largely driven by effective counselling, strong peer support, and the mentor mother model that encourages adherence and emotional support. About 98.6 per cent of clients also expressed satisfaction with PMTCT services,”
— Dr. Stanley Idakwo
Despite the progress, Idakwo admitted that challenges persist.
> “Around 31.7 per cent of women cite distance to facilities as a barrier, 20.1 per cent mention transportation costs, and 16.5 per cent report long waiting times,” he said.
He explained that these barriers are being addressed through task-sharing among healthcare workers, improved case management, and the integration of HIV prevention programs into broader maternal and child health services.
> “Improved staff attitude and shorter waiting times have encouraged more women to seek antenatal care, ensuring better access to HIV testing and follow-up treatment for both mothers and their babies,”
— Dr. Idakwo added.
Idakwo further noted that while antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis for mothers and infants has significantly reduced HIV transmission rates, uptake of critical follow-up services such as facility-based deliveries and ARV use during labour still requires improvement.
To close these gaps, IHVN is intensifying health worker training, strengthening drug supply chains, and ensuring that mentor mothers and midwives jointly monitor pregnant women from antenatal visits through postnatal care.
He also highlighted IHVN’s collaboration with the Rivers State Ministry of Health, aimed at expanding PMTCT services to underserved and riverine communities.
> “With PEPFAR-CDC and Global Fund support, we’ve trained more than 400 Traditional Birth Attendants across 319 wards, linking them to 115 health facilities under a hub-and-spoke service delivery model,”
— Idakwo said.
He stressed that continuous training for counsellors, expanding PMTCT coverage to more primary healthcare centres, and improving security and working conditions for healthcare workers remain vital to sustaining the gains.
> “Our ultimate goal is to ensure no child in Rivers State is born with HIV. Every pregnant woman deserves quality, stigma-free healthcare regardless of her location or social status,”
— Idakwo affirmed.
The IHVN Rivers ASPIRE Project, he added, will continue to strengthen community partnerships and drive Nigeria’s goal of eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission through sustained innovation, collaboration, and commitment.
NAN
