In its 2024 Global AIDS Report, "The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads," the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) outlined intentions to exterminate HIV/AIDS by 2030. UNAIDS stated that in order to attain the objective of eradicating AIDS as a public health concern, Nigeria and other low- and middle-income nations must see an increase in yearly investments in HIV interventions.
According to the report, there is a need to increase the annual investment of $29 billion earmarked for prevention and treatment services, address inequalities, and strengthen health systems.
The report highlighted that the HIV response has slowed down in many parts of the world due to weak political will, social conservatism, insufficient funding, and ongoing stigma and discrimination. It also emphasized that the investment is not only a moral obligation but also a sound economic decision, with the potential to yield significant health, social, and economic benefits.
These obstacles prevent key populations, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender people, from accessing the necessary services. As a result, there has been little progress in reducing HIV incidence among these groups.
In response to this development, Nigeria's Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, revealed that over 1.6 million individuals are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), which represents more than 90% of those diagnosed with the virus.
However, Nigeria still faces a significant challenge with a high burden of pediatric HIV. The National Coordinator for the National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, and STIs Control Program, Dr. Adebobola Bashorun, estimated that around 159,923 children aged 0-14 years were living with HIV in 2022, with only 32% of them receiving treatment. This makes Nigeria one of the countries with the highest pediatric HIV burden globally.
Despite these challenges, Nigeria has received support from international donors, with the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) playing a crucial role. Over the past two decades, PEPFAR has invested $8.3 billion in HIV and tuberculosis prevention, care, and treatment in Nigeria, significantly strengthening the country’s public health system.
Moreover, initiatives such as the CDC’s HIV Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Surge in high-burden states and the DELTA2 project focus on providing technical assistance and capacity building.
