Health experts and development partners have raised concern that thousands of children in Nigeria are still living with HIV without being diagnosed or receiving treatment, despite ongoing national and international efforts to control the disease.

The warning was given on Wednesday at the 2026 Paediatric Breakthrough Partnership Linking and Learning Meeting held in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed progress in tackling HIV among children.

The meeting was organised by the Society for Family Health in collaboration with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, with a focus on improving early diagnosis and treatment outcomes for children living with HIV.

Speaking at the event, Yusuf Dayyabu, representing the Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Family Health, said too many children are still being missed in the healthcare system.

He noted that many infants are not diagnosed early enough, and opportunities to prevent mother-to-child transmission are often lost.

Data presented at the meeting showed that since 2023, over 285,000 children, adolescents, and pregnant or breastfeeding women have accessed HIV-related services. During the same period, 2,879 people were enrolled into care.

However, experts say Nigeria still carries a heavy burden of paediatric HIV, with about 260,000 children aged 0 to 14 currently living with the virus. Alarmingly, only about 45 percent of HIV-positive children are receiving antiretroviral treatment, which is significantly lower than adult coverage.

Dr Adebobola Bashorun of the National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme described paediatric HIV as both a public health and moral challenge, stressing that many vulnerable children had no control over their exposure.

He acknowledged progress in preventing mother-to-child transmission but warned that major gaps still exist, especially in rural and hard-to-reach communities where pregnant women and infants often miss essential care.

Other experts at the meeting highlighted that many HIV-exposed infants are lost during follow-up, and many children remain undiagnosed within communities due to weak health system coverage.

Dr Aisha Dadi, Country Lead of the Paediatric Breakthrough Partnership, said children are often harder to reach because they depend entirely on adults for access to healthcare. She noted that targeted community-based interventions have helped improve treatment coverage in some areas to between 60 and 65 percent.

Stakeholders also raised concerns about the sustainability of HIV programmes, warning that heavy dependence on donor funding could affect long-term progress if not matched with stronger domestic investment.

They called on government and health agencies to increase local funding, strengthen early diagnosis systems, and ensure that no child is left behind in the fight against HIV in Nigeria.