NACA Advocates Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for Nigeria’s HIV Prevention Response

By Praise Chinecherem

National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and its partners have highlighted Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, PrEP, as an important option in Nigeria’s HIV prevention response.

The stakeholders spoke in Lagos during a training on HIV PrEP organised for media professionals, with focus on improving understanding of available prevention interventions, including Lenacapavir.

NACA Director-General, Dr Temitope Ilori, represented by the Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Mrs Toyin Aderibigbe, said PrEP is an effective HIV prevention option for people who are HIV-negative and may be at substantial risk of acquiring the virus.

She stressed that access to prevention services must be accompanied by clear information to help people understand available options and where to obtain them.

The World Health Organisation Technical Officer for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STIs in Nigeria, Dr Oluwafunke Odunlade, explained that PrEP works by ensuring preventive antiretroviral medicines are available in the body to help stop HIV from establishing an infection following exposure.

Also speaking, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, IHVN, Patrick Dakum, represented by the organisation’s Senior Programmes Manager for Prevention, Comfort Amina, said IHVN was collaborating with NACA and other partners on a PrEP pilot programme.

Amina said the programme is aimed at helping communities understand HIV prevention methods and is being implemented in Anambra, Benue, Gombe, Rivers, Cross River, Kwara, Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

The training featured technical presentations, interactive discussions, question-and-answer sessions and practical demonstrations on HIV transmission and PrEP.

NACA said continued collaboration among health institutions, implementing partners and other stakeholders would be important to expanding access to accurate information and HIV prevention services.