Nigeria: Some Nigerians Turn to Faith Healers As HIV Aid Dries Up

The United States' decision to cut funding for HIV treatment in Nigeria has led some patients to seek alternative, unproven cures from faith healers. Aisha, a patient in Maiduguri, relied on free antiretroviral therapy (ART) from a clinic funded through the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programme. When PEPFAR funding was halted in January 2025, Aisha was unable to afford the costly ART on her own.

Instead, she turned to traditional healers who claim to offer a permanent cure. These healers sell their concoctions for thousands of dollars and market them as Islamic medicine. Despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting these remedies, many patients in northern Nigeria are turning to them due to desperation and lack of access to proven treatments.

Traditional healers often cite religious texts, such as a Hadith, to justify their claims, making their offers more appealing to patients. However, Islamic scholars argue that selling ineffective remedies is a form of deception and goes against the teachings of the Quran. Aisha's experience highlights the growing trend of patients in northern Nigeria seeking unregulated, potentially harmful treatments in place of proven ART.