The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has emphasized the urgent need for sustainable strategies and greater local ownership in the country’s HIV response to build on the significant progress made in controlling the epidemic.
Dr. Patrick Dakum, Chief Executive Officer of IHVN, highlighted in an interview in Abuja that people living with HIV must adhere strictly to their medication regimens to maintain their health and prevent new infections.
He pointed out that HIV services—including testing, treatment, laboratory diagnosis, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission—remain free at more than 380 IHVN-supported health facilities across the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Katsina, and Rivers States.
Currently, over 238,000 individuals receive free anti-retroviral therapy (ART) through these facilities, a feat made possible by funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Dr. Dakum stressed that sustaining these critical services requires robust government ownership, strong local partnerships, and ongoing collaboration with civil society organizations and the media.
“We remain committed to advocating for sustainable health initiatives. Together with government, funders, and partners, our goal is to test 95 percent of people living with HIV, treat 95 percent of those diagnosed, and achieve viral suppression in 95 percent of those on treatment,” he said.
He also underscored IHVN’s efforts to extend HIV services into grassroots communities through faith-based partnerships and community outreach programs such as the Group Mothers’ Love Gatherings and Peer Mentor Mother Programs, which empower women living with HIV to support one another.
According to Dr. Dakum, the Nigerian government is progressively taking on greater responsibility for the HIV response by integrating HIV services into health insurance schemes, encouraging local production of HIV test kits, and preparing to introduce new prevention options like the injectable HIV preventive drug Lenacapavir.
He called on all stakeholders to maintain and strengthen collaboration to ensure the sustainability of Nigeria’s HIV response and to help build a healthier future for all Nigerians.
Current estimates indicate that approximately 1.8 million Nigerians are living with HIV, with about 1.6 million accessing treatment. Over the past decade, new HIV infections have declined by more than 20 percent, and AIDS-related deaths have decreased significantly.
Nonetheless, experts caution that sustaining these achievements will require increased domestic funding, more efficient service delivery, and improved access to testing and treatment services, especially for vulnerable groups such as women, children, and adolescents.
Global and national agencies, including UNAIDS and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), have praised Nigeria’s progress but warn that continued momentum is essential to meet the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
Achieving this target will depend on enhanced domestic investment, equitable access to services, and empowering community-led responses across all regions of the country.