Nigeria Records 45,000 New HIV Infections as NACA Says No Cure Yet

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has disclosed that Nigeria recorded approximately 45,000 new HIV infections last year, while stressing that there is still no scientifically proven cure for the virus.

NACA Director-General, Dr Temitope Ilori, made the disclosure during a media training programme on HIV prevention organised by NACA in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other stakeholders.

Ilori said the agency was expanding HIV prevention options, particularly for people at higher risk of infection.

These options include daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), injectable cabotegravir administered every two months, and the newly introduced lenacapavir injection, which is given once every six months.

She explained that PrEP is designed for people who are HIV-negative and is intended to prevent infection rather than cure HIV.

According to her, lenacapavir is currently being provided through a pilot programme in selected states and is not yet commercially available in Nigeria.

NACA is working with international and donor partners to expand the programme to additional states.

Ilori said people eligible for the injectable can access it free of charge at participating health facilities.

She also noted that no major side effects had been recorded among participants in the pilot programme so far, adding that recipients were being closely monitored.

The NACA director-general expressed concern about HIV infections among young Nigerians, noting that inadequate access to accurate information remains one of the challenges in preventing new infections.

She urged journalists to intensify public education and help dispel misconceptions about HIV transmission.

She stressed that HIV cannot be contracted through hugging, handshakes, sharing offices or mosquito bites.

She explained that HIV is mainly transmitted through infected blood, sexual contact, and from an infected mother to her child when appropriate treatment is not received.

WHO Technical Officer for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Nigeria, Dr Oluwafunke Odunlade, said PrEP contains antiretroviral medicines that help prevent HIV from establishing an infection in the body.

Odunlade said HIV prevalence currently stands at 1.3 per cent among Nigerians aged 15 to 49 and 1.4 per cent among those aged 15 to 65.

She advised anyone seeking PrEP to undergo an HIV test first because PrEP prevents new infections but cannot treat an already established HIV infection.

She also emphasised the importance of adherence, explaining that oral PrEP is taken daily, cabotegravir every two months, and lenacapavir every six months.

However, she cautioned that PrEP does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia, making condom use important.

Meanwhile, the Director of Health and Social Care at the National Orientation Agency, Dr Ayola Abiodun Olufemi, said the agency was collaborating with NACA to ensure that Nigerians receive accurate information about HIV prevention.

Olufemi described the media as an important partner in public health education, saying journalists have a significant role in correcting misinformation, changing public perceptions and encouraging healthier behaviours.

He said the NOA would use its structures across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas to support HIV awareness campaigns through town hall meetings, community engagement and grassroots sensitisation.

Ilori reiterated that while there is currently no scientific cure for HIV, effective antiretroviral treatment is available free of charge at government health facilities.

She urged Nigerians to know their HIV status, make use of available prevention and treatment services, adhere to prescribed treatment and reject stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

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