Temitope Ilori, the director-general of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), said 75,000 new infected HIV cases and 45,000 HIV-related deaths were recorded in 2023.

She made this known at a two-day National Prevention Technical Working Group (NPTWG) meeting organised by NACA in Abuja on Wednesday.

She said although there is a gradual reduction in new HIV infections, there is still a need to implement the recommendations made at the 2024 Nigeria HIV Prevention Conference and ongoing meetings to eradicate HIV/AIDS by 2030.

She added, “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.”

Muhammad Pate, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare, therefore urged stakeholders to discuss the progress made in the actions and strategies taken towards preventing HIV transmission.

Mr Pate, represented by Bashorun Adebobola, the national coordinator of the National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NASCP), said: “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 a 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.”

Leo Zekeng, UNAIDS country director and representative in Nigeria, noted that the nation and many countries are not on track to meeting the 2025 prevention target.

He said that ”in spite of remarkable progress, prevention of new HIV infections is still a challenge, as many countries, including Nigeria, are not on track to meeting the 2025 prevention target.

“We are here as UNAIDS and the UN system in support and solidarity with the government’s efforts to address HIV prevention and appreciate the renewed and continued leadership of NACA on HIV prevention.

“From the 2023 estimates, 45,000 deaths and 75,000 new infections are huge. We still have a lot to do.”

Mr Zekeng suggested that the roadmap to be developed should include a quarterly performance framework for accountability and progress monitoring.

On his part, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, the national coordinator of the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), stressed the need for HIV treatment as the best option for prevention.

He said, “Once someone is living with HIV, he or she must adhere to medications, and then definitely the chances of transmitting HIV to another person are zero.”

Evans Emerson, deputy country coordinator for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), emphasised the inclusion of youth, key populations, and others to eliminate HIV as a public threat.

Mr Emerson reiterated the commitment of the U.S. to provide funding to implement innovative strategies and approaches to HIV prevention and treatment in Nigeria.

The NACA director-general also unveiled the 2024 HIV Prevention Conference Technical Report and Communique.

(NAN)