2 hours ago
3
The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Temitope Ilori, Tuesday said about 1.6 million out of the two million people living with HIV are currently receiving treatment in Nigeria.
Dr. Ilori made this declaration at a press conference in in commemoration of the 2024 World AIDS Day, themed: “Take the Right Path: Sustain HIV Response, Stop HIV Among Children, and End AIDS in Nigeria by 2030.”
She said Nigeria has an HIV prevalence rate of 1.4% among the general population aged 15–64, with an estimated two million people living with HIV.
“The country continues to face significant challenges in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV,” she said.
World AIDS Day is usually observed globally on December 1st to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and to honour the lives affected by the epidemic.
Ilori stated further that this year’s commemoration would place special emphasis on stopping AIDS among children and raising awareness about the sustainability and ownership of the HIV response.
The UNAIDS 2023 report shows that approximately 160,000 children aged 0–14 are living with HIV, with 22,000 new infections and 15,000 AIDS-related deaths occurring each year.
Despite progress, Nigeria’s prevention of mother-to-child transmission and paediatric HIV coverage remains below 33 per cent, well below the 95 per cent target.
She stated that following a comprehensive data analysis in 2021, NACA joined an international initiative and developed the Global Alliance Action Plan to End AIDS in Children.
“Together, let us recommit to the vision of an AIDS-free Nigeria by 2030. Ending AIDS is not just a target; it is a testament to our resolve, compassion, and unity as a nation,” she said.
She added that NACA had been working with stakeholders in co-creating a sustainability roadmap to ensure the continuity of the HIV response in the event of donor support withdrawal.
