The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has called for greater sustainability and local ownership in Nigeria’s HIV response to consolidate progress achieved in epidemic control.
Chief Executive Officer of IHVN, Dr. Patrick Dakum, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during an interview with journalists.
Dakum urged people living with HIV to adhere strictly to their medications to maintain their health and prevent new infections.
He noted that HIV services—including testing, treatment, laboratory diagnosis, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission—remain free across more than 380 IHVN-supported health facilities in the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Katsina, and Rivers States.
According to him, over 238,000 individuals currently receive free antiretroviral therapy (ART) in these facilities, made possible through 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).
Dakum said sustaining these services requires strong government commitment, local partnerships, and continued collaboration with civil society and the media.
“IHVN continues to advocate for sustainable health initiatives. Together with government, funders, and stakeholders, we aim to test 95 per cent of people living with HIV, treat 95 per cent of those diagnosed, and achieve viral suppression in 95 per cent of those on treatment,” he said.
He highlighted the institute’s efforts to extend HIV services to grassroots communities through faith-based partnerships, outreach programmes, and initiatives such as Group Mothers’ Love Gatherings and Peer Mentor Mother Programmes, which empower women living with HIV to support one another.
Dakum commended the Nigerian government’s efforts toward assuming greater responsibility for the HIV response through health insurance inclusion, local production of HIV test kits, and the planned introduction of the HIV preventive injectable, Lenacapavir.
He urged continued collaboration among stakeholders to ensure long-term success in the national HIV response and to build a healthier future for Nigerians.
According to data from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Nigeria currently has an estimated 1.8 million people living with HIV, with about 1.6 million already on treatment.
New HIV infections have declined by more than 20 per cent over the past decade, while AIDS-related deaths have dropped significantly.
Experts, however, warn that sustaining these gains will require stronger domestic funding, efficient service delivery, and improved access to testing and treatment for vulnerable groups, particularly women, children, and adolescents.
In a joint statement, UNAIDS and NACA commended Nigeria’s progress but cautioned that the country must sustain momentum to meet the 2030 target of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
They stressed that achieving this goal will depend on increased domestic financing, equitable service delivery, and strengthening community-led responses across all states.
