The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AHF, Nigeria has expressed concern over the rising HIV infection rate among young women and adolescents
It estimated that about 4,000 girls aged 15 to 24 contract the virus every week globally.
This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lokoja, Kogi State, by AHF Nigeria’s Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager, Steve Aborishade.
He explained that despite progress in the fight against the epidemic, the figures remain deeply troubling, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Of the 4,000 weekly infections, more than 3,300 occur in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the region’s disproportionate burden.
Aborishade noted that in 2023 alone, 1.9 million adolescent girls and young women were living with HIV globally, compared to 1.2 million boys and young men in the same age group. This gap, he said, demonstrates a sharp gender disparity in global HIV prevalence.
He further stressed that education barriers continue to fuel vulnerability, as an estimated 133 million girls worldwide remain out of school. This lack of access to education, he argued, limits opportunities for health awareness, independence, and long-term well-being.
AHF called for greater investments in HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention, testing, and treatment, alongside improved healthcare access for young women.
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The foundation also urged stakeholders to confront period poverty, promote comprehensive sexuality education, and address gender-based violence and child marriage, which are major drivers of health inequality.
The organisation linked these interventions to this year’s commemoration of the International Day of the Girl , marked annually on October 11. As part of the 2025 celebration, AHF Nigeria will hold an educational event on October 10 at Community Commercial Secondary School, Ikot Oku, Ubo, Offort, Uyo, in Akwa Ibom State.
Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria Country Programme Director, said the event will provide menstrual hygiene education, leadership talks, and a platform for girls to present innovative ideas.
He disclosed that selected ideas will be recognised with gifts, while participants will receive free sanitary pads and access to mentorship opportunities.
He added that civil society partners, government officials, and the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Women Affairs are expected to attend.
AHF, the world’s largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider, currently delivers medical services and advocacy to more than 2.5 million people across 50 countries, including Nigeria.
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