*1.3m new infections occur yearly
From Joseph Uchenna, in Makurdi
Around 40 million people worldwide are living with the HIV/AIDS virus, with women and girls representing more than half of those affected.
This is just as 1.3 million new infections occur globally each year.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AHF Nigeria stated this in a statement on Thursday maintaining that despite decades of progress in the fight against HIV, stigma and discrimination continue to prevent many individuals from accessing essential care, while key populations face significant barriers to treatment.
The organization said as part of activities to celebrate the 2025 World AIDS Day, AHF Nigeria will hold a commemorative event at Keffi, Nasarawa state on December 1 to emphasize that the work to end HIV/AIDS is not over.
It said the commemoration will promote awareness, prevention, testing, and care while showing solidarity with those impacted by HIV/AIDS in the community and beyond.
“This World AIDS Day event will highlight these ongoing challenges and reinforce the importance of keeping HIV/AIDS at the forefront of national and global public health efforts.
“AHF Nigeria’s World AIDS Day event will be kickstarted with a media breakfast meeting in Abuja on the 27th of November as an avenue to engage the media about their unique role in the effort to defeat AIDS in Nigeria. The media plays a very important role in disseminating information and forming opinions in any society. It naturally follows, then, that journalists have a huge impact on what societies understand about HIV/AIDS and how they perceive people who are affected by it. This engagement will see the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) the National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, and STIs Control Program (NASCP), including the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NEPWHAN) and the Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ASHWAN) in attendance.
“On Monday, December 1, AHF Nigeria in collaboration with her partners, AHF will be organizing a road walk from the city center in Keffi, to terminate at the Nasarawa State University, where a health awareness talks for students and the public shall take place. Students from the Keffi State University, including the Red Cross Club, CSOs and CBOs shall partake in the walk, with traditional dancers and skaters leading the parade. Free condoms and fliers providing condom education shall be shared as we move along. Across other AHF Nigeria states, our team shall be on radio educating the people about HIV/AIDS, particularly about the new developments in treatment, while HIV testing and free condom distribution shall complement their awareness efforts.
‘’AHF Nigeria recently opened a Wellness Centre in both Abuja and Benue, as a response to the rising waves of STIs among adolescents and young people and our decision to program for this population is the reason we are partnering with the Keffi State University in order to expand access for students and empower other youths to take charge of their health”, said Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria Country Program Director.
“Africa has made great strides against HIV, but rising infections, especially among adolescents and young women, remind us that the fight isn’t over,” said Martin Matabishi, AHF Africa Bureau Chief. “To overcome disruption and truly transform the AIDS response, we must embrace inclusive health policies, promote combination prevention, and empower and meaningfully collaborate with communities to lead the fight against stigma and inequality.”
“Additionally, pharma greed continues to block progress for the global HIV/AIDS response. Even with groundbreaking prevention tools like long-acting injectables, high prices keep them out of reach for the people and countries that need them most. True progress demands that pharmaceutical companies put people before profits because innovation doesn’t matter if it isn’t accessible to all.”
World AIDS Day serves as a vital platform for HIV/AIDS advocates to acknowledge the progress made, remember those we have lost to AIDS-related illnesses and those who carry on the fight, and call on governments worldwide to commit the necessary resources and political support to end HIV/AIDS. On this World AIDS Day, we’re reminded: It’s Not Over.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 2.7 million people in 50 countries worldwide in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Europe. We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world.
