The Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Temitope Ilori, has revealed that Nigeria recorded a staggering 45,000 HIV-related deaths in 2023.
Ilori speaking on Wednesday, at a two-day National Prevention Technical Working Group meeting in Abuja, stated that 75,000 new cases of HIV infections were also recorded in 2023, a cause for concern as the country strives to eradicate HIV/AIDS by 2030.
Despite a gradual reduction in new HIV infections, Ilori emphasized the need to implement recommendations made at the 2024 Nigeria HIV Prevention Conference and ongoing meetings to achieve the goal.
The data also showed that Nigeria’s Mother-To-Child Transmission rate is only about 35-40 per cent, far from the 75 per cent target.
“it is disheartening to know that in 2023, we had as many as 75,000 new infections and 45,000 HIV-related deaths. This is a cause for concern. And we also know that even in our Mother-To-Child Transmission, we are just about 35 to 40 per cent as against the 75 per cent target. So, we know we have a lot of work to do.”
At the meeting which brought together stakeholders from various organizations, a progress report on actions and strategies taken toward preventing HIV transmission took centre stage.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, urged stakeholders to strengthen communication strategies to pass the right message and prevent a rebound of the infection.
The minister, who was represented by the National Coordinator of the National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NASCP), Bashorun Adebobola, noted that; “we should strengthen our communication strategies in such a way that we can pass the right message.
“Even though we have made impressive gains, it does not mean that we are still not at risk or threat of a rebound of the infection and this is where communication needs to be strengthened so that we can achieve that overall goal before 2030.”
UNAIDS Country Director and Representative in Nigeria, Leo Zekeng, said many countries, including Nigeria, are not on track to meeting the 2025 prevention target as he emphasized that prevention of new HIV infections is still a challenge and called for a roadmap with a quarterly performance framework for accountability and progress monitoring.
Other stakeholders at the meeting highlighted the importance of HIV treatment as the best option for prevention and emphasized the need to include key populations, such as youths and those at risk, in efforts to eliminate HIV as a public threat. The meeting ended with the unveiling of the 2024 HIV Prevention Conference Technical Report and Communique by NACA Director-General, Temitope Ilori.
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