Health experts have assured Nigerians that advances in science, treatment and technology have transformed HIV from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable health condition.
The assurance was given at the weekend in Abuja by the Chief Executive Officer of APIN Public Health Initiatives, Prof. Prosper Okonkwo, during activities marking the organisation’s 25th anniversary.
Okonkwo said people living with HIV can now achieve viral suppression, live healthy lives, have families and pursue their careers without the virus defining their future, describing the progress as the result of years of investment, advocacy and public health interventions.
He noted that APIN currently has more than 314,000 patients on antiretroviral treatment, while about 96 per cent of them have achieved viral load suppression, adding that access to treatment has improved significantly compared to the early years of the epidemic.
The organisation also disclosed that more than 83,000 pregnant women and children who tested positive for HIV in Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau and Benue states had been placed on treatment as of March 2026, highlighting ongoing efforts to reduce mother-to-child transmission and improve healthcare outcomes.
