Rivers, Benue, A’Ibom top Nigeria’s 2m HIV patients

The 2024 HIV prevalence by states showed that Rivers State has the highest number of people living with HIV, with 208,767 recorded cases, followed closely by Benue State with 202,346 cases, and Akwa Ibom with 161,597 cases.

These three states top the chart in the latest HIV spectrum estimates obtained from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS.

According to the data, over two million people are currently living with HIV across Nigeria, highlighting the need for sustained efforts in prevention, testing, and access to treatment.

In Lagos State, the country’s commercial capital, the number stands at 108,649, placing it fourth nationwide. Anambra State follows with 100,429 cases, while the Federal Capital Territory reported 83,333 cases, which is one of the highest in the north-central region.

Other states in the high-prevalence bracket include Delta (68,170), Imo (67,944), Enugu (61,028), Edo (60,095), and Taraba (58,460).

The middle tier includes states with reported cases, such as Abia (54,655), Kaduna (54,458), and Kano (53,972).

Plateau State also reported a significant number, with 51,736 people living with HIV, followed closely by Borno (50,433) and Oyo (50,063). Cross River (43,452), Ogun (43,348), and Nasarawa (44,993) make up the mid-range prevalence group.

Adamawa reported 40,059 cases, while states like Gombe (31,825), Jigawa (31,409), Osun (30,714), and Niger (29,756) follow closely behind.

Bauchi reported 28,698, followed by Kogi (28,421), Ondo (27,150), and Katsina (26,788) fall into the lower-middle category, while Bayelsa State reported 25,339 cases.

States with the lowest numbers of recorded cases include Kwara (20,259), Kebbi (19,339), Ekiti (18,857), Sokoto (15,223), Ebonyi (14,151), Zamfara (13,253), and Yobe (11,956).

The spectrum estimates also revealed that in the past year, an estimated 43,683 people died from HIV-related causes. Of these, 28,589 were adults, with 13,650 male and 14,939 female deaths. Among children aged 0–14, there were 15,094 deaths.

As of the latest data, 1,753,425 people living with HIV know their HIV status. This includes 1,693,457 adults — 579,209 males and 1,114,401 females; and 54,983 children aged 0–14.

Meanwhile, access to treatment has expanded significantly, with 1,735,808 PLHIV currently on antiretroviral therapy. This includes 1,690,057 adults — 577,632 males and 1,112,425 females — and 45,751 children aged 0-14 who accessed ART.

Out of those on treatment, 1,160,256 individuals were tested for viral suppression, and 1,112,339 were confirmed to have a suppressed viral load. This group includes 1,083,177 adults — 363,531 males and 719,645 females — and 29,162 children.

Among pregnant women, 93,186 were identified as needing ART to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. However, only 31,095 received the necessary treatment, highlighting a critical gap in prevention services.

The Director-General of NACA, Dr. Temitope Ilori, assured Nigerians that the Federal Government had taken proactive measures to mitigate any potential shortage of HIV drugs in the country.

“The Federal Executive Council approved $1.07bn to finance healthcare sector reforms under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity programme. Additionally, N4.8bn was approved for HIV treatment, and the Nigerian Senate has recently allocated N300bn to the health sector in the 2025 budget,” Ilori explained.

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She said the allocations were part of the government’s efforts to address the immediate funding gap caused by the U.S. aid pause.

She emphasised that the government is mobilising resources to ensure the sustainability of Nigeria’s HIV response.