There are growing concerns that a significant number of HIV-positive children in Nigeria remain outside the healthcare system, as experts warn that gaps in early diagnosis and treatment continue to undermine efforts to eliminate paediatric infections.
Health stakeholders raised the alarm on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2026 Paediatric Breakthrough Partnership Linking and Learning Meeting, where they reviewed progress and challenges in improving HIV care for children.
The meeting, organised by the Society for Family Health in collaboration with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, brought together development partners and health implementers focused on strengthening paediatric HIV response across the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Family Health, Yusuf Dayyabu, said many infected children are still not being reached by testing services, stressing that late diagnosis continues to affect treatment outcomes.
He noted that “many children are still not reached by testing services. Early diagnosis is not happening fast enough, and this affects access to timely treatment”, adding that stronger coordination is needed across communities and health facilities.
Country Lead of the Paediatric Breakthrough Partnership, Dr Aisha Dadi, said the initiative focuses on closing gaps in identification and care through community-based and health system interventions.
She explained that reaching children remains difficult because they depend on adults for access to healthcare, while weak referral systems often delay diagnosis and treatment.
According to her, engagement with traditional birth attendants and community health workers has helped improve treatment coverage in some areas, with progress recorded in reaching more children living with HIV.
Stakeholders at the meeting also raised concerns about the sustainability of HIV programmes in Nigeria, warning that overdependence on donor funding could affect long-term progress.
They called for increased domestic investment and stronger government ownership of HIV response efforts to ensure continuity and expanded access to services.
Nigeria continues to account for a significant share of global paediatric HIV infections, with experts linking the burden to persistent gaps in prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and delayed identification of exposed infants.
