The Federal Government announced on Monday that People Living with HIV/AIDS will now have access to free annual liver and kidney function tests through expanded health insurance coverage.

The announcement was made by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, during the 2025 World AIDS Day commemoration in Abuja, organised by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and its partners. This year’s theme was: “Overcoming disruption: Sustaining Nigeria’s HIV response.”

World AIDS Day, observed annually on December 1, serves to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, promote global solidarity, and review progress in the fight against the epidemic. It also reinforces commitment to eliminating HIV and ensuring treatment access for all affected individuals.

Speaking at the event, Salako said, “We are beginning to provide people living with HIV/AIDS with access to annual liver and kidney function tests through expanded health insurance coverage.”

He added, “We are also moving steadily towards full integration of HIV, TB, malaria, nutrition, and the National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme in Nigeria as one service that can be accessed in one location at any point in time. This integrated approach will ensure that children and adolescents can access multiple essential services during a single visit, thereby improving health outcomes.”

Salako noted that during the 66th National Council on Health (NCH) in Calabar, the consent age for voluntary HIV counselling and testing was lowered from 18 to 14 years, aiming to boost testing among adolescents, promote early diagnosis, improve access to care, and reduce transmission.

He also highlighted the approval of the National Clinical Mentorship Programme within the health system and urged states to integrate mentorship activities into their annual plans and budgets, noting that it will help ensure that persons living with HIV remain on treatment and prevent loss to follow-up.

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“I call on all stakeholders—states, partners, civil society, communities, and the private sector—to strengthen collaboration, scale innovation, and accelerate our march toward the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat,” Salako said.

Dr. Temitope Ilori, Director General of NACA, emphasised Nigeria’s progress despite major disruptions including the global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and shifting global health financing. She said the country remains on track to meet the 2030 target of ending HIV.

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“We have maintained an impressive 87–98–95 performance towards the global 95–95–95 targets, demonstrating significant progress in diagnosis, treatment coverage, and viral suppression across the country. Eighty-seven per cent of people living with HIV in Nigeria know their status; 98 per cent of those who know their status are on life-saving treatment; and 95 per cent of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression—meaning they cannot transmit HIV. In the last decade, Nigeria has recorded a 46 per cent decline in new HIV infections, and more Nigerians living with HIV are enrolled and retained in care than ever before,” she emphasised.

The President of the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria, Abdulkadiri Ibrahim, urged increased domestic HIV funding and attention to gaps in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), community engagement, and viral load testing.

“Drugs are available, but there are elements that need more attention—such as community engagement for retention. We need to discuss adherence, counselling, psychosocial support, follow-up for those who miss their appointments, and improve access to viral load testing,” he said.

Also speaking, UN Resident Representative Elsie Attafuah highlighted the importance of domestic financing, human rights protection, community empowerment, and strengthening Nigeria’s health system.

“Together, we will sustain the response. Together, we will overcome distractions. Together, we will build a future where every person can live with health, dignity, and hope,” she concluded.