Advertisement
This Article is From Apr 13, 2012

70,000 newborns in Nigeria are HIV positive

Abuja: About 70,000 newborns in Nigeria are HIV positive, a top government official of the west African nation has revealed.

Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) John Idoko disclosed this in Nigeria's southwestern state of Ogun on Thursday.

The official also said that HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria were prevalent among Nigerian pregnant women.

He stressed that NACA, the agency set up for curbing AIDS in the country, was ready to partner with the Ogun State government on preventive policy.

Idoko called for the improvement of the State Action Committee on AIDS (SACA) to be able to fight the spread of the scourge.

According to the official, the agency was willing to collaborate with other agencies to improve the health of the Nigerian people.

Idoko urged all levels of government to assist NACA in strengthening the fight against HIV/AIDS and other related diseases, saying that the agency would work hard to eliminate mother-to-child transmission.

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world

Follow us: