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Despite advances in the prevention and treatment of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), has warned that there is still no scientific cure for the virus, as Nigeria recorded about 45,000 new HIV infections last year, prompting renewed efforts to strengthen prevention and expand access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
Director General, NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori, disclosed this during media training on HIV prevention organised by NACA in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other stakeholders.
Ilori said NACA was expanding prevention options for people at higher risk of HIV infection, including daily oral PrEP, injectable cabotegravir administered every two months and the newly introduced Lenacapavir, administered once every six months.
She stressed that PrEP was a prevention strategy for people who are HIV-negative and should not be mistaken for a cure.
According to her, Lenacapavir is currently being implemented under a pilot programme in selected states and is not yet commercially available in Nigeria.
She said NACA was working with international and donor partners to expand access and scale up the programme to more states.
“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,” she said.
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On safety, Ilori said no major side effects had so far been recorded among people receiving the injectable during the pilot, adding that participants were being closely monitored.
She expressed concern over HIV infections among young people, attributing part of the challenge to inadequate access to accurate information.
The NACA boss urged journalists to intensify public education and tackle persistent myths about HIV transmission, stressing that the virus could not be contracted through hugging, handshakes, sharing offices or mosquito bites.
She said HIV was transmitted through infected blood, sexual contact and from mother to child where an infected mother was not receiving appropriate treatment.
Also, WHO Technical Officer, HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Nigeria, Dr. Oluwafunke Odunlade, said PrEP contains antiretroviral drugs designed to prevent HIV from establishing infection in the body.
Odunlade disclosed that HIV prevalence stood at 1.3 per cent among Nigerians aged 15 to 49 and 1.4 per cent among those aged 15 to 65.
