The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has expressed deep concern over the increasing number of new HIV infections among young women, revealing that an estimated 4,000 females aged 15 to 24 contract the virus every week, with more than 3,300 of those cases recorded in sub-Saharan Africa.
In a statement issued ahead of the 2025 International Day of the Girl (IDG), AHF Nigeria’s Advocacy and Marketing Manager, Steve Aborisade, called on governments at all levels to intensify investments in HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, testing, and treatment. He also urged the implementation of stronger policies to improve access to healthcare, quality education, and reproductive health services for young girls.
Aborisade announced that, in commemoration of the International Day of the Girl, AHF Nigeria will host an empowerment event on October 10 at Community Commercial Secondary School, Ikot Oku Ubo, Uyo. The event will focus on promoting menstrual health, leadership, and education, while also recognising outstanding ideas from girls and distributing free sanitary pads.
He added that several civil society organisations, including CISHAN, CCCRN, and ECEWS, will participate in the event, alongside representatives from the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Women Affairs.
The Country Programme Director of AHF Nigeria, Dr. Echey Ijezie, expressed concern over the many challenges confronting young girls, such as poor menstrual health, gender-based violence, and inadequate access to sexual and reproductive health services.
“At AHF Nigeria, we are deeply troubled by the persistent barriers young girls face,” Ijezie said. “Every week, thousands of adolescent girls become infected with HIV due to inequality, lack of education, and limited access to healthcare services.”
He further disclosed that in 2023, about 1.9 million adolescent girls and young women were living with HIV globally, compared to 1.2 million boys and young men, underscoring the gender disparity in infection rates.
The International Day of the Girl, celebrated annually on October 11, he noted, serves as a platform to honour the achievements of girls and to advocate for policies that protect and promote their rights, health, and overall well-being.
