Nigeria: Children Bear Brunt As Funding Crisis Threatens Global HIV Gains - New Report

Nigeria is experiencing a funding crisis that threatens global progress against HIV, according to a new UNAIDS report. In 2025, 2.27 million children and adolescents aged 0-19 are living with HIV, and the report projects that 255 children will acquire the virus and 167 will die from AIDS-related causes every day. While the world has made significant progress in combating HIV, UNAIDS warns that declining international financing could reverse these gains.

The report highlights stark disparities in access to HIV services between children and adults, with only 65% of children knowing their HIV status compared to 89% of adults, and only 55% of children receiving antiretroviral treatment compared to 79% of adults. Despite these challenges, the report also points to significant global gains.

AIDS-related deaths fell by 57% between 2010 and 2025, and new HIV infections decreased by 42% during the same period. However, these gains are now under financial pressure, with only $17.6 billion available for HIV programmes in low- and middle-income countries in 2025, compared to the $21.9 billion needed annually by 2030. Nigeria is among the countries where the impact is already evident, with the number of people receiving PrEP falling by more than half in 2025.

The report emphasizes the need for domestic investment to cushion the impact of the funding crisis, citing Ethiopia and Uganda as examples of countries that have expanded PrEP access using domestic and other resources. UNAIDS also stresses the importance of addressing the disproportionate impact of HIV on adolescent girls and young women, who account for six out of every 10 new HIV acquisitions in sub-Saharan Africa.

The agency warns that addressing this trend requires comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education, wider access to PrEP and other prevention options, and action against gender inequality, violence, stigma, and discrimination.