Nigeria recorded about 45,000 new HIV infections last year, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) said, while stressing that there is still no scientific cure for the virus despite progress in prevention and treatment.
NACA Director-General Dr Temitope Ilori made the disclosure during a media training on HIV prevention organised with the World Health Organisation and other partners.
“There’s no market price to it as of today. You just need to link up with the facilities that are offering these injections and get it free of charge,” Ilori said of the newly introduced long-acting injectable lenacapavir, which is given once every six months under a pilot programme in selected states.
She said NACA was expanding prevention options for people at higher risk, including daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), injectable cabotegravir administered every two months, and lenacapavir. She emphasised that PrEP is a prevention tool for HIV-negative individuals and must not be mistaken for a cure.
Ilori expressed concern over infections among young people, linking the problem partly to limited access to accurate information. She urged journalists to counter persistent myths, noting that HIV cannot be transmitted through hugging, handshakes, sharing offices or mosquito bites.
The virus is transmitted through infected blood, sexual contact and from mother to child when an infected mother is not on appropriate treatment, she said.
WHO Technical Officer Dr Oluwafunke Odunlade said HIV prevalence stood at 1.3 percent among Nigerians aged 15 to 49 and 1.4 percent among those aged 15 to 65. She stressed that anyone seeking PrEP must first test negative for HIV, as the drugs prevent infection but do not treat existing cases. Adherence is essential, and PrEP does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections, making condom use necessary.
Ilori reiterated that effective antiretroviral treatment remains available free of charge at government health facilities. She called on Nigerians to know their HIV status, use available prevention methods, adhere to treatment and reject stigma against people living with the virus.
The National Orientation Agency said it was working with NACA to disseminate accurate information nationwide through community engagement.
