AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has called for supportive programmes and policies that would expand access to healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health services for adolescent girls and young women in Akwa Ibom.

It also called for increased investment in the prevention, testing, and treatment programmes for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Sexually Transmitted Infections (HIV/STIs), as well as comprehensive sexuality education, revealing that over 4,000 young women aged 15–24 are infected with HIV weekly, with more than 3,300 of those cases in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Nigeria Country Programmes Director of AHF, Dr Echey Ijezie, made the call on Friday during the commemoration of the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child held at Community Commercial Secondary School, Ikot Oku, Ubo, Offot, Uyo. The theme of the 2025 celebration is, “The girl I am, the change I lead: Girls on the frontline of crisis.”

Ijezie, who stated that the event was aimed at protecting girls from HIV, honouring their achievements, and reinforcing the urgent need to expand opportunities for them to thrive and stay healthy, lamented that young girls still face challenges of poor menstrual health and limited access to reproductive health services.

He, therefore, called for actions to address period poverty, promote comprehensive sexuality education, and combat gender-based violence and child marriage, which he termed key drivers of health inequality.
“International Day of the Girl, observed annually on 11 October, is a time to celebrate girls’ accomplishments, amplify their voices, and advocate for policies that protect their health and futures. Through its Girls Act programme, AHF empowers girls and young women in nearly 40 countries with the knowledge, support, and resources to remain free from HIV and other STIs, adhere to treatment for girls living with HIV, stay in school, and avoid unplanned pregnancies,” the statement partly read.

In her keynote address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare in Akwa Ibom, Hon Inibehe Silas Etukudo, said that despite the challenges girls face in the state, they are still breaking barriers in all their endeavours, demonstrating that crises do not define them; instead, they shape solutions.

The Commissioner promised to create opportunities where their voices and ideas would be heard, their leadership nurtured, and their potential unleashed, even as she revealed that the state was working towards securing funding and programmes that would empower girls—from scholarships to health initiatives.

She added, “Education remains the cornerstone of this vision. Every girl in Akwa Ibom deserves access to quality education, free from obstacles like poverty or early marriage. We must also prioritise their health, ensuring access to menstrual hygiene resources and mental health support so they can flourish. We must stand firm in protecting them from gender-based violence and discrimination, creating a state where every girl feels safe to soar.”

Speaking with the State Coordinator of AHF, Dr Ekemini Essien, he observed that girls all over the world are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and faced with a lot of abuse with very little opportunity, unlike their male counterparts. He said authorities should, as a matter of urgency, address the issue by empowering girls with the necessary tools, knowledge, and skills to excel.

Essien encouraged the girls to be resilient and focused for a secure future.

On her part, Jessica Charles, the Linkage Coordinator of AHF in the state, harped on the need for girl-child empowerment. She said empowerment must not be merely economic, but in terms of access to the right information, healthcare, education, and the ability to make decisions. She charged the girls to always stand tall and speak up against any form of abuse.
“This is not the time when you should be shy about how you feel about your reproductive health. Speak up against any abuse. I know a lot of girls are abused, and their parents are covering up; please speak up, because there will always be somebody out there who wants to champion your cause,” she admonished.

In an interview with one of the participants, Rhoda Vincent, she thanked AHF for identifying with the girl child and going further to empower them, especially in sexual health rights and gender equality.

Vincent, who is the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State Children’s Parliament, reminded girls of their role as change-makers and world movers, even as she charged them to remain focused and dedicated, not forgetting to take their menstrual hygiene seriously.

The highpoint of the occasion was the distribution of disposable and reusable sanitary pads, toiletries, and a talk on menstrual hygiene.