It has been estimated that out of every 125, 000 Nigerian infants, 67,000 are born with the Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) annually.

This, according to an expert, is a sharp increase in the rate of mother to child transmission of the virus.

Kwara State AIDS Programme Coordinator in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Salmata Lawal, disclosed this during a sensitization programme on HIV/AIDS organised by the state Ministry of Information in conjunction with the Agency for the Control of AIDS (KWASACA).

This comes just as state deputy governor, Elder Peter Kishira, at the North-Central zonal meeting of stakeholders held in Ilorin, said the state government would intensify strategies to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS in the state.

"Even though the north-central has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, with Kwara State having the lowest prevalence of 2.2 per cent, we will still work very hard to reverse this ugly trend", he said.

The coordinator described the rate at which the infection is transmitted to new born by pregnant women as worrisome.