Nigeria: Nigeria Records Decline in HIV Treatment Among Pregnant Women

What the report says

Nigeria’s latest health-sector review shows a setback in HIV treatment for pregnant women, according to Premium Times’ report distributed by AllAfrica. The 2026 Joint Annual Review Statistical Book, produced by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and presented at a health-sector review meeting in Abuja on 10 November 2026, found that antiretroviral treatment coverage among HIV-positive pregnant women fell to 83% in 2026 from 98% in 2025.

The report also said the share of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV who achieved viral suppression dropped from 95% to 79% over the same period. Viral suppression means treatment has reduced the virus to very low levels, which lowers the chance of transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding. The article noted that the World Health Organization recommends prompt treatment and continued care for women diagnosed with HIV to reduce that risk.

At the same time, the review showed mixed results in other HIV indicators. Newly detected HIV cases declined from 108,230 in 2025 to 70,356 in 2026, while overall antiretroviral therapy coverage among people living with HIV rose from 78% to 82%, and viral suppression among those on treatment improved slightly. However, the number of people newly diagnosed with advanced HIV disease increased. The figures underline ongoing progress in some areas of Nigeria’s HIV response, but also persistent challenges in preventing mother-to-child transmission.