Nigeria recorded a decline in antiretroviral treatment coverage among pregnant women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in 2026.

The proportion of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV who achieved viral suppression fell from 95 per cent in 2025 to 79 per cent in 2026, according to the 2026 Joint Annual Review (JAR) Statistical Book.

Produced by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the report reviews the third year of implementation of the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint and was presented at the third Nigeria Health Sector JAR in Abuja on 10 November 2026.

The report also shows that antiretroviral treatment coverage among HIV-positive pregnant women recorded in the programme data fell from 98 per cent in 2025 to 83 per cent in 2026.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the use of medicines to control HIV infection. Viral suppression occurs when treatment reduces the amount of the virus in the blood to a very low level.

Preventing mother-to-child transmission

HIV can be transmitted from a mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.

However, appropriate treatment during pregnancy and continued care after delivery can substantially reduce the risk of transmission.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the risk of mother-to-child transmission ranges from 15 to 45 per cent, without interventions.

It recommends that women diagnosed with HIV be linked promptly to lifelong treatment and supported to remain in care and achieve viral suppression.

Speaking at the National HIV Health Sector Symposium in Abuja in July 2025, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, said Nigeria continued to record more than 9,000 new paediatric HIV infections annually.

Mr Salako called for improved access to treatment for pregnant women living with HIV, early diagnosis of HIV-exposed infants and stronger community engagement to address stigma.

He also said the government’s state of emergency on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission remained in effect as part of efforts to ensure that no Nigerian child is born with HIV.

Other HIV indicators

The report also recorded a decline in newly detected HIV cases, from 108,230 in 2025 to 70,356 in 2026.

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It further showed an improvement in overall ART coverage among people living with HIV, which increased from 78 per cent in 2025 to 82 per cent in 2026. Viral suppression among those receiving treatment also rose from 94 to 95 per cent.

However, the number of people newly diagnosed with advanced HIV disease increased from 19,747 in 2025 to 20,162 in 2026.

The figures show improvements in some national HIV indicators alongside declines in treatment coverage and viral suppression among pregnant and breastfeeding women.

The JAR Book cites the National Data Repository and National Data Reporting System as sources of its HIV indicators.

Seven private sector and philanthropic organisations have proposed commitments worth more than $65 million to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare services in Nigeria.

The commitments, announced on Wednesday during the 2026 Joint Annual Review of the health sector in Abuja, are expected to support interventions in 172 local government areas (LGAs) identified as having a high burden of maternal deaths.

According to a statement issued following the event, the organisations submitted letters of intent under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) Private Sector Compact, a government-led framework designed to coordinate investments and technical support for maternal and newborn healthcare.

The seven organisations are DP World, Bayer, UNICEF, dsm-firmenich, Nestlé Nutrition Institute, Roche and Ferring Pharmaceuticals.

The proposed contributions include financial resources, medical products, technical expertise, supply chain support and other services intended to address gaps in maternal and newborn healthcare delivery.

Nigeria’s maternal mortality burden

The announcement comes as Nigeria continues to record high numbers of preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

According to estimates contained in the statement, approximately 40,000 women and 300,000 newborns die annually in Nigeria, representing more than 100 maternal deaths and 800 newborn deaths every day.

These estimates highlight persistent challenges in access to skilled birth attendants, emergency obstetric services, essential medicines and timely referrals, particularly in underserved communities.

MAMII, launched in November 2024, prioritises 172 LGAs across 33 states, which account for more than half of Nigeria’s maternal deaths, according to the programme’s targeting analysis.

The initiative focuses on improving emergency obstetric and newborn care, strengthening referral systems, providing emergency transport and increasing access to essential medical supplies and trained health workers.

Speaking at the event, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Pate said reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths remained a national priority.

“Through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and our Sector-Wide Approach, we are bringing federal and state governments, the private sector and development partners together around a common national plan, with particular attention to the 172 local government areas where the burden of maternal mortality is greatest,” Mr Pate said.

He described the commitments as an important step towards improving healthcare delivery and an important expression of confidence in Nigeria’s reform agenda.

“Our responsibility is to ensure that every commitment is aligned with national priorities, every investment is accounted for, and every intervention contributes to measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerian women and children,” he said.

Partners pledge technical support

The Nigeria Country Director of the Gates Foundation, Uche Amaonwu, said the partnership would help coordinate resources and expertise towards reducing preventable deaths.

Mr Amaonwu said the burden of maternal mortality continues to affect too many Nigerian families.

“The MAMII compact brings focus to this challenge, coordinating public, private and philanthropic efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths,” he said.

He said the foundation was working with partners, including MSD for Mothers, MTN Group Foundation and the World Economic Forum’s Global Alliance for Women’s Health, to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare.

Similarly, MTN Foundation Executive Director Odunayo Sanya said the organisation would support the initiative through connectivity, artificial intelligence and digital solutions.

“MTN believes technology has its greatest value when it removes real barriers to essential services,” she said.

Ms Sanya said the partnership would help provide women, frontline health workers and healthcare facilities with information and digital tools to improve maternal health outcomes.

The Head of the Centre for Health and Healthcare at the World Economic Forum, Shyam Bishen, said private sector participation could contribute more than financial support.

Mr Bishen said businesses could provide products, technology, supply chains and expertise needed to improve healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved communities.

The Executive Director of Social Impact and Sustainability at MSD for Mothers, Jacquelyn Caglia, said the organisation would invest in the Training for Emergency Action, Management and Workflows in Midwifery, Obstetrics and Neonatal Care (TEAM OB/NEO).

The programme is designed to equip health workers with the skills needed to manage life-threatening complications during pregnancy, childbirth and newborn care, including severe bleeding, infections and breathing difficulties in babies.

Ms Caglia said the company had spent 15 years supporting efforts to reduce maternal deaths, including in Nigeria, through its MSD for Mothers initiative.

“By investing in TEAM OB/NEO as part of the MAMII Compact, we reaffirm our commitment to Nigeria and to collaborating with other private sector partners to pool resources, expertise and innovation aligned to the national effort to expand access to quality maternity care services for women across Nigeria,” she said.

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Platform to track investments

The government also unveiled a digital platform designed to coordinate and monitor contributions under the MAMII Private Sector Compact.

The platform, developed through the SWAp Coordination Office, is expected to show the geographical distribution of interventions, partner contributions and outstanding healthcare gaps across participating states and LGAs.

It is also intended to help prevent the concentration of donor-funded projects in some locations while other communities remain underserved.

However, the platform is still at the prototype stage, with its operational and reporting arrangements yet to be finalised.

The MAMII National Lead at the SWAp Coordination Office, Dayo Adeyanju, said the platform would support better coordination and investment decisions.

“It shows clearly where the gaps are and which delivery partners are supporting which LGAs,” Mr Adeyanju said.

He added that the platform would help prevent the duplication of interventions and improve resource allocation, with information expected to support partner decisions from December 2026.

The government said the next phase of the Compact would involve agreeing on implementation milestones, deploying resources to priority areas and monitoring progress against maternal and newborn health outcomes.