…Says PrEP uptake can strengthen HIV prevention in Nigeria

 

Nigeria remains on course to achieve HIV epidemic control by 2030 despite recording about 45,000 new infections last year, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has said.

The Director-General of NACA, Temitope Ilori, who disclosed this yesterday in Lagos, said the emergence of new infections, particularly among young people, required renewed efforts to improve HIV awareness, prevention and access to treatment.

Ilori spoke at the opening of a two-day training for media personnel on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), organised by NACA in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

She said inadequate knowledge, misinformation and persistent myths about HIV remained major obstacles to prevention, urging journalists and social media practitioners to intensify public education and help dispel misconceptions about the virus.

“We have new infections coming up. There are about 45,000 new infections as of last year. We’re still gathering information regarding this year,” she said.

According to the NACA chief, although about 1.3 per cent of the general population is living with HIV, more than 98 per cent of Nigerians are HIV-negative.

She stressed that the country’s HIV response should therefore focus strongly on preventing new infections while ensuring that people living with HIV have access to treatment.

Ilori identified condoms, abstinence, faithfulness to one partner and PrEP among the available HIV prevention options, saying individuals should adopt strategies appropriate to their circumstances and level of risk.

She described PrEP as a highly effective prevention option for people who are HIV-negative and at increased risk of acquiring the virus, noting that when taken as directed, it reduces the risk of HIV infection through sex by about 99 per cent.

However, she cautioned that PrEP was not intended for every Nigerian.

“We are not saying every Nigerian should use PrEP, but we’re saying those that are most at risk, most vulnerable to contracting HIV will have this option,” she said.

Ilori said oral PrEP was already available as a prevention option, while injectable forms were being introduced. She identified lenacapavir, or LEN PrEP, as a new long-acting option designed to provide protection through an injection administered once every six months.

She disclosed that LEN PrEP was currently being introduced through pilot programmes in a limited number of states and was not yet commercially available in Nigeria.

According to her, NACA is working with donor and international partners to introduce the intervention and expand access to more states. For now, participants in the pilot programme can receive the injectable prevention option free of charge through designated health facilities.

Ilori said no major side effects had so far been reported among people receiving the injections, adding that participants were being closely monitored by health officials throughout the pilot programme.

The NACA DG also sought to correct persistent misconceptions about HIV transmission, stressing that the virus was not spread through casual contact such as hugging, shaking hands or sharing an office.

She said mosquitoes also do not transmit HIV, adding that recognised routes of transmission include sexual contact and exposure to infected blood, while babies could acquire the virus from infected mothers if appropriate interventions were not provided.

On treatment, Ilori said HIV was no longer a death sentence despite the absence of a cure, noting that highly effective antiretroviral medicines were available free of charge at government health facilities.

She urged people living with HIV to take their medication consistently, explaining that effective treatment could suppress the virus to an undetectable level and prevent sexual transmission.

“Undetectable equals untransmittable,” she said, urging people who test positive to commence treatment promptly and remain on it.

The NACA boss, however, expressed concern over declining condom use, particularly among young people, and urged sexually active Nigerians to adopt safer sexual practices.

“For the young people particularly that are sexually active, we say please play safe, wear condoms,” she said, while also encouraging young people to consider abstinence.

She urged married couples and people in mutually faithful relationships to remain faithful to their partners as part of efforts to prevent HIV transmission.

Ilori said Nigeria’s ability to achieve and sustain HIV epidemic control by 2030 would depend on collective action involving testing, treatment, prevention and access to accurate information.

“We are on target regarding epidemic control, but to stay on target we need everybody on deck. We need everybody to work together,” she said.

She urged Nigerians to know their HIV status, get tested and commence treatment promptly where necessary.

The NACA DG also challenged journalists and social media influencers to make HIV information more accessible and relatable to young Nigerians, warning that sensational and inaccurate content could create fear, reinforce stigma and discourage people from seeking testing and treatment.

“This is where you, our media professionals and social media influencers, have a critical role to play,” she said. “The media remains one of our most powerful partners in public health communication, while social media provides an unprecedented opportunity to reach young people and other audiences with information in formats that are engaging, relatable and easy to understand.”

She said the fight against HIV was not only about medicines and health services but also about ensuring that Nigerians had accurate information to make informed decisions about their health.

“AIDS is real, HIV is real, people come down with HIV, but the good news is that it’s not a death sentence,” Ilori said.

She noted that the media training came at a critical period as Nigeria strengthens its HIV prevention response under the National Strategic Plan 2026–2030, which places emphasis on sustainability, innovation, stronger partnerships and greater community engagement.

Ilori said sustained public education, wider access to prevention options and collective responsibility would be essential to keeping Nigeria on course to achieve HIV epidemic control by 2030.

Also speaking, Technical Officer for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) at the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Oluwafunke Odunlade, highlighted the growing role of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in preventing HIV infection, urging Nigerians to embrace accurate information about the prevention options available to them.
Odunlade explained that PrEP consists of antiretroviral drugs taken by people who are HIV-negative to reduce their risk of acquiring the virus, adding that when PrEP is used correctly, the drugs are present in the body when a person is exposed to HIV and can prevent the virus from establishing an infection.

She said, “PrEP is Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis,” she explained, noting that the medicines work by blocking the HIV virus from establishing itself in the body.

Odunlade noted that Nigeria now has different PrEP options, including daily oral PrEP and long-acting injectable formulations. Cabotegravir long-acting (CAB-LA) is administered every two months, while lenacapavir (LEN-PrEP) is administered every six months.

She, however, stressed that people must first undergo HIV testing and assessment by healthcare professionals before starting PrEP. Odunlade explained that PrEP is designed for HIV prevention and not treatment, adding that people who already have HIV should instead be linked to appropriate treatment services.

She highlighted the importance of adherence, saying the effectiveness of PrEP depends on taking or receiving it according to the recommended schedule. People using oral PrEP need to take their medication daily, while those using CAB-LA and LEN-PrEP need to return for their injections at the recommended intervals.

For LEN-PrEP in particular, she said healthcare providers manage the initial process and loading doses because the medicine requires time to reach effective levels in the body.

Otundade further noted that healthcare providers should help individuals select the PrEP option most suitable for their circumstances. For instance, she said people living with Hepatitis B may benefit from oral PrEP because some of the medicines used in oral PrEP also have activity against Hepatitis B. Individuals who may struggle with daily medication, on the other hand, could find long-acting injectable options more convenient.

She cautioned that PrEP should not be viewed as a replacement for other HIV and STI prevention measures. Condom use remains important for protection against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia.

“Abstinence and mutual faithfulness between partners” also remain part of a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention, she said, while describing PrEP as an additional prevention option.

The WHO official also called on journalists to play a stronger role in HIV and public health education, stressing that the media has an important responsibility in shaping public understanding of diseases.

She urged journalists to provide accurate information, challenge misinformation and dispel myths, particularly around conditions associated with stigma such as HIV.

“Media practitioners are very important in agenda setting and in creating awareness about diseases,” Otundade said, stressing that journalists can serve as advocates by communicating correct health messages through reporting, broadcasting and public engagement.

Beyond HIV prevention, Otundade advocated for greater integration of health services to improve efficiency and access to care.

She explained that health programmes are increasingly being combined so that patients can receive multiple services during the same visit. A pregnant woman, for example, could be screened for HIV, Hepatitis B, tuberculosis and malaria at a health facility as part of an integrated approach.

According to her, such integration can save patients time, improve access and ensure that people receive more comprehensive healthcare in one place.