Dr. Temitope Ilori, Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), announced that out of the estimated two million people living with HIV in Nigeria, at least 1.6 million are currently receiving treatment.
This statement was made ahead of the 2024 World AIDS Day, which will focus on “Taking the Right Path: Sustain HIV Response, Stop HIV Among Children, and End AIDS in Nigeria by 2030.”
World AIDS Day, observed on December 1st, honors the lives lost to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and raises awareness of the disease.
Ilori emphasized that this year’s observance would highlight the prevention of AIDS in children and the importance of sustaining and taking ownership of the HIV response in the country.
“Nigeria has an HIV prevalence rate of 1.4 per cent among the general population aged 15–64 years, with an estimated two million people living with HIV. About 1.6 million of them are currently on treatment,” she stated. “The country continues to face significant challenges in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.”
According to the UNAIDS 2023 report, about 160,000 children aged 0 to 14 are living with HIV, with 22,000 new infections and 15,000 AIDS-related deaths occurring annually.
Despite efforts, maternal HIV prevention and pediatric HIV treatment coverage in Nigeria remain at just 33%, well below the targeted 95% coverage rate.
Dr. Ilori noted that NACA had joined an international initiative to end AIDS in children through the creation of the Global Alliance Action Plan, which was launched after a comprehensive data analysis in 2021.
