As part of efforts to enhance the response to HIV, Nigeria is set to begin domestic production of HIV drugs by the end of 2025. The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has confirmed that plans are underway to manufacture essential commodities, including test kits and antiretroviral drugs, within the country. The announcement was made during the inauguration of the Kwara Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission and Pediatrics ART Acceleration Committee in Ilorin, Kwara State. The newly established committee seeks to prevent the virus transmission from mothers to children and ensure a sustainable response.
Also, their commitment to ending AIDS as a Public Health threat by 2030 has led to the development of various strategies. Among them are enrolling all positive individuals in the national health Insurance program, mobilising resources to states, strengthening advocacy efforts, and supporting vaccine research and innovation. Despite ongoing efforts, the latest data from UNAIDS shows that about 140,000 children aged 0-14 in Nigeria are living with the virus, with 22,000 new infections and 15,000 AIDS-related deaths occurring annually.
HIV prevalence in Kwara and the need for targeted interventions.
While progress has been made, the coverage for preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and pediatric treatment remains below 33%, far from the 95% global target. In response, the Global Alliance Action Plan to End AIDS in Children was launched in 2021 with full financial backing. However, the country has not achieved optimal results, highlighting the need for intensified intervention and localised efforts to bridge the gap. In Kwara State, the virus prevalence is 0.8%, below the national average of 1.4%. However, disparities persist as women are affected, with a prevalence rate of 1.3% compared to 0.4% among men.
Some local governments within the state require specific interventions to maintain and further reduce these figures. The state government has supported the newly inaugurated committee to help achieve its mandate and sustain progress. To accelerate pediatric ART nationwide, NACA is pushing for the development of a comprehensive list of children born to positive parents. The agency believes this will ensure that no child in Kwara State or any other part of the country is born with the disease. The national acceleration committee, established by the Minister of State for Health, is also being replicated at the state level to strengthen real-time monitoring of programs and improve response efficiency.
WHO insights on global and regional HIV mortality trends.
Meanwhile, the NACA Director-General acknowledged that recent concerns over the temporary suspension of foreign aid programs highlight the urgent need for government-led Sustainability initiatives. Although the virus services have been exempted from the 90-day foreign aid suspension, the situation underscores the necessity of local funding and resource mobilisation for long-term program stability. Therefore, Nigeria must work towards sustainable and self-sufficiency solutions, including increased government investment, strategic partnerships with private-sector stakeholders, and enhanced Community Engagement to ensure that life-saving interventions remain accessible even without foreign assistance.
Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) provided insight into HIV-related deaths, noting that mortality rates have declined due to the widespread availability of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). Before ART became accessible, the disease mortality in sub-Saharan Africa was estimated to be between 45 and 88 deaths per 1,000 person-years. With ART, this figure has dropped to between 14 and 46 deaths per 1,000 person-years, underscoring the life-saving impact of treatment. Factors that increase mortality include low CD4 counts, high viral loads, low body mass index, frequent fever episodes, and advanced stages of the disease.
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Lastly, the WHO emphasises that rapid ART initiation within seven days of diagnosis is critical in reducing mortality. It also recommends intensified adherence support, including home visits, phone call reminders, and home-based care, to improve treatment retention and effectiveness. Since the Epidemic began, over 88.4 million people worldwide have been infected, and about 42.3 million have died from the illness. As of the end of 2023, an estimated 39.9 million people were living with the virus globally, with a prevalence rate of 0.6% among adults aged 15 to 49. The burden of the epidemic varies across regions, with the WHO African Region being the most affected, accounting for over two-thirds of all people living with the virus.