The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has expressed deep concern over the rising rate of HIV infections among young women, revealing that an estimated 4,000 females aged 15 to 24 are newly infected each week—over 3,300 of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
In a statement issued ahead of the 2025 International Day of the Girl (IDG), AHF Nigeria’s Advocacy and Marketing Manager, Steve Aborisade, urged governments to scale up investments in HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, testing, and treatment.
He also called for the implementation of policies that improve access to healthcare, education, and reproductive health services.
Aborisade announced that to commemorate the Day of the Girl, AHF Nigeria will host an empowerment event on October 10 at Community Commercial Secondary School, Ikot Oku Ubo, Uyo. The programme will focus on promoting menstrual health, leadership, and education while recognizing innovative ideas from girls and distributing free sanitary pads.
He added that several civil society partners, including the Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CISHAN), Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCCRN), and the Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS), would participate in the event alongside representatives from the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Women Affairs.
AHF Nigeria Country Programme Director, Dr. Echey Ijezie, lamented the challenges facing young girls, including inadequate menstrual health support, gender-based violence, and poor access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.
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“At AHF Nigeria, we are deeply concerned about the barriers confronting young girls. Every week, thousands become infected with HIV due to inequality, limited education, and poor access to health services,” Ijezie said.
He further disclosed that in 2023, an estimated 1.9 million adolescent girls and young women were living with HIV globally, compared to 1.2 million boys and young men.
Dr. Ijezie noted that the International Day of the Girl, observed annually on October 11, serves as an opportunity to celebrate girls’ achievements and advocate for policies that protect and empower them.