Health
Over 70% of young Nigerians lack correct HIV prevention information — NACA
Angela Onwuzoo
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS has urged media personnel across the country to use their platforms and expertise to disseminate accurate information on HIV prevention, stating that less than 30 per cent of young Nigerians have accurate information about HIV prevention.
This leaves over 70 per cent with significant knowledge gaps, heightening their vulnerability and risk of HIV infection.
The agency also urged the media to intensify awareness and develop messages on HIV services and available treatment options, particularly Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, that will resonate with young people and enable them to make informed decisions to protect themselves from the infection.
The Director-General of NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori, disclosed this in Lagos on Thursday at an ongoing two-day training for journalists and social media influencers on HIV PrEP.
The training, attended by more than 30 media professionals from various platforms, along with partners, was organised by NACA in collaboration with the World Health Organisation to build the capacity of media personnel to communicate information about HIV PrEP to the public effectively and accurately.
The training seeks to increase public awareness, reduce stigma, support informed decision-making and promote the uptake of HIV prevention services.
According to NACA, PrEP includes oral and injectable forms of antiretroviral drugs taken by HIV-negative individuals. It is widely recognised as an effective preventive measure for key populations, including men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers and people who inject drugs, as well as serodiscordant couples.
The agency described PrEP as an effective biomedical prevention strategy that can significantly reduce the risk of HIV acquisition among at-risk populations.
Studies show that adolescents are particularly vulnerable to HIV due to unsafe sexual practices.
In Nigeria, experts say risky behaviours contribute substantially to HIV transmission, hence the need for people to know their HIV status, particularly sexually active young people.
Speaking, the NACA DG expressed concern over the prevalence of misinformation on social media and sensational content about HIV prevention, which she said could potentially affect the uptake of testing and treatment services.
Ilori maintained that messages targeting young people should be devoid of fear but should promote access to and availability of services, as well as treatment adherence.
She stressed that knowing their HIV status would help young people and the general population make informed decisions to prevent HIV acquisition and transmission.
According to her, the messages should focus on how young people can protect themselves from HIV infection, which she said was crucial to reducing new infections.
The NACA DG said, “We want to discourage stigma and discrimination while promoting access to HIV services, testing, treatment, medication adherence and prevention options.
“Unfortunately, from studies we carried out by the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with NACA, we realised that less than 30 per cent of our young population have the right information regarding HIV. We need to correct the misinformation; young people are vulnerable to HIV.”
Ilori said the current HIV prevalence among the general population stands at about 1.3 per cent, with more than 98 per cent of Nigerians HIV-negative, urging the media to help keep the prevalence low by addressing misinformation around innovations in HIV prevention and treatment and tackling stigma and discrimination.
“Use your platform and expertise to pass accurate information.
“Today’s engagement is particularly important because we know that apart from providing services, commodities and medicines, including PrEP, we also need to ensure that people access these commodities and have the right information.
“When they are informed and well educated; they know the pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages, the consequences and complications that arise from taking PrEP,” she said.
Ilori noted that PrEP is a highly effective HIV prevention option.
“It is for people who are HIV-negative, and they are trying to stay negative. It is not treatment; it is not a vaccine, but it is a preventive drug. When you take it, it is a highly effective HIV prevention option that can reduce the risk of infection by almost 99 per cent when used correctly.
“We have different forms of PrEP, including daily oral and injectable options. There is also a new long-acting injectable, lenacapavir, which is administered once every six months. These innovations demonstrate the continued progress in HIV prevention,” the NACA DG said.
In March 2026, the Federal Government introduced lenacapavir, a new long-acting injectable medicine for HIV prevention, marking a significant step in the country’s efforts to reduce new infections and advance national HIV goals.
Ilori also emphasised that, apart from PrEP, there are other HIV prevention methods, such as condoms and vaginal rings, that can prevent HIV transmission when used effectively.
She told the media personnel that the effectiveness of the national HIV response depends heavily not only on the availability of these commodities but also on awareness, correct understanding, accessibility and willingness to use them.
“We need the media to play a critical role in information dissemination on HIV prevention, especially reaching young people with the correct information on how to access and use PrEP in a way that is relatable to them and in a way that they can understand the message and make informed choices.”
She reiterated the need for the media to pass accurate information about HIV prevention to reduce stigma and discrimination.
She cautioned, “We do not want to instil fear. We want to discourage stigma and discrimination. Promote messages around access to services, testing so that they can know their status.”
Speaking about the science behind PrEP, the Technical Officer for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STI at the WHO Country Office in Nigeria, Dr Oluwafunke Odunlade, said PrEP is an HIV drug designed to block the virus from establishing infection in the body.
“If someone is on PrEP and uses it correctly, they have a high level of protection against HIV. They are protected against the virus establishing an infection. When the virus enters the body, the drugs already present prevent it from replicating and establishing itself in the body. That is how PrEP prevents people from acquiring HIV,” Odunlade explained.
For the WHO specialist in the management of HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STI, the takeaway message for media personnel from the training is to keep the public well informed about diseases through agenda-setting and bring issues around HIV prevention and PrEP to the front burner.
She urged them to dispel myths about HIV and other diseases associated with stigma.
Also speaking, the Director of Health and Social Care at the National Orientation Agency, Abuja, Dr Ayola Olufemi, said the training was crucial to ensuring that media personnel were well informed and better equipped with the right information on HIV prevention and PrEP to enable them to communicate accurately and factually with the public.
“The media are great stakeholders and the cornerstone of public health. The media need to accurately inform the public to change their perception and achieve behavioural change to address the myths and misconceptions about PrEP,” Olufemi said.
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