Adamawa State records 8,850 new HIV cases in four years
The Adamawa State Agency for the Control of AIDS (ADSACA) has revealed that the state recorded 8,850 new HIV infections between 2022 and 2025, indicating a worrying rise in transmission despite ongoing awareness and prevention efforts.
The agency’s Director of Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Abdullahi Adamu, disclosed this in Yola during a media interactive session on the state’s HIV/AIDS response.
Adamu said the meeting aimed to deepen collaboration with the media to enhance public awareness and promote behavioural change in the fight against HIV.
According to him, surveillance data show a steady increase in new infections over the years: “In 2022, we recorded over 2,700 new infections; in 2023, more than 2,500; in 2024, 2,227; and between January and June 2025, we have already recorded 1,423.”
He expressed concern over the rising numbers, stressing the urgent need to reassess existing strategies and intensify campaigns on HIV prevention and early testing.
“We have preventive options such as abstinence, consistent condom use, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), but many people are not using them effectively,” he noted.
He stressed that people living with HIV who adhere to treatment cannot transmit the virus and can lead healthy, productive lives. According to him, more than 40,000 people living with HIV are currently receiving treatment in Adamawa State, with about 93% achieving viral suppression. However, the agency recorded 400 HIV-related deaths in 2024.
The ADSACA official also urged pregnant women to register for antenatal care to prevent mother-to-child transmission, which remains a key challenge.
“In 2024, 509 pregnant women who registered for antenatal care were enrolled on HIV treatment, out of which 180 were new infections. Without antenatal care and hospital delivery, some of these mothers could have unknowingly transmitted the virus to their babies,” he said.
Adamu revealed that the state government had procured over 40,000 HIV testing kits, encouraging residents to take advantage of free testing services available at health facilities and community testing centres.
Also speaking, John Tobias, the North-East Zonal Coordinator of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), urged Nigerians to take greater ownership of the national HIV response to ensure sustainability.
He warned that a stop-work order issued by the United States government in February had disrupted donor-supported HIV interventions, limiting Nigeria’s capacity to provide treatment and care. “This is a wake-up call for us to take responsibility for our own health and reduce dependence on donor support,” Tobias said.
Describing the 1,423 new infections in the first half of 2025 as “avoidable,” he stressed that effective treatment remains one of the strongest prevention tools. “If everyone living with HIV is identified and placed on treatment, there will be no opportunity for transmission,” he said.
Tobias called on journalists to play an active role in public sensitisation and promoting positive behavioural change, emphasising that Nigeria must intensify efforts to end new HIV infections by 2030.
