Abuja has taken a significant stride in the fight against HIV/AIDS, placing 61,384 individuals on life-saving treatment. This figure represents 223% of the projected number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV), including 1,048 children receiving antiretroviral therapy.
Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, FCT Administration, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, revealed these statistics at a press conference in Abuja to mark the 2024 World AIDS Day. Represented by the Director-General of the Hospital Management Board, Dr. Olubenga Bello, Fasawe highlighted this year’s theme, “Take the Right Path: Sustain HIV Response, Stop HIV Among Children.”
The theme underscores the urgent need to focus on pediatric HIV care and uphold the rights of those affected. World AIDS Day, observed annually on December 1, unites efforts to increase awareness, support those living with HIV, and honor the memory of lives lost.
Strengthening HIV Services Across FCT
With an estimated population of 6.95 million and an HIV prevalence rate of 1.4%—slightly above the national rate of 1.3%—the FCTA has expanded HIV services to ensure no community is left behind.
“Our health sector response includes a network of 122 service delivery points across the six Area Councils, 285 spoke sites, and 37 unconventional sites providing community-based care,” Fasawe said. These decentralized models bring care closer to underserved populations, ensuring equitable access.
To address pediatric HIV, the FCTA introduced unique initiatives like mentor mothers who guide pregnant women through care pathways. Traditional birth attendants have also been trained to promote facility births, early infant diagnoses, and preventive measures.
Programs such as the Mothers’ Love Party and the AP3 Initiative are pivotal in supporting the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. The FCT also expanded access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), preventing new infections among HIV-negative individuals.
Fasawe commended partnerships with organizations like the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and others for their roles in achieving these milestones.
“Together, we have prioritized vulnerable groups—women, children, and key populations—to ensure everyone diagnosed with HIV receives care, dignity, and support,” she stated.
While acknowledging these achievements, Fasawe stressed the need for continued efforts to address Nigeria’s high burden of pediatric HIV. She reaffirmed the FCTA’s commitment to ending stigma and discrimination, expanding care access, and protecting vulnerable populations.
World AIDS Day activities will conclude with a symbolic road walk from Government Secondary School, Garki, to Old Parade Ground, Garki Area 10, emphasizing the collective resolve to end HIV/AIDS in the FCT.
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