Every week, 4,000 adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24 across the globe contract HIV, with more than 3,300 of those cases erupting in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria included. With national HIV rates steady at 1.4%, the virus strikes young females hardest, claiming four out of every 100 girls aged 20 to 24 compared to one in every 100 boys. This gap widens further in the 25 to 29 age group, where the figures balloon to eight girls versus two boys.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria, the world’s largest non-profit dedicated to tackling HIV and serving more than 2.5 million people in 50 countries, raised the alarm this week, especially poignant amidst the celebrations for the International Day of the Girl Child. Drawing on 2023 data, AHF highlighted the fact that 1.9 million adolescent girls and young women globally lived with HIV, outpacing the 1.2 million boys and young men in the same age group. This stark gender divide underscores raw inequalities in both access to education and healthcare. “Globally, adolescent girls and young women bear a disproportionate HIV burden. Despite some progress, the situation remains alarming, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Steve Aborishade, Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager at AHF Nigeria.
United Nations AIDS data from 2023 counted 360,000 new HIV infections among 15- to 24-year-olds globally, with adolescent girls accounting for 140,000 of those cases. In regions like Nigeria, youth testing rates have sunk below 25%, further delaying diagnosis and treatment. UNAIDS’ latest report reveals that the new HIV infections among girls aged 15 to 24 last year were four times higher than those among boys. This disproportionate vulnerability is often tied to the 21 million teen pregnancies worldwide, a reflection of the shared dangers young girls face. In Nigeria, a 2018 survey showed that 40% of all infections hit the 15- to 24-year-old age group, with testing rates for boys at 34% and girls at 43%. The root causes are intertwined with early marriages, transactional sex, and lackluster prevention efforts.
Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria’s Country Programme Director, voiced the urgent concern. “At AHF Nigeria, we are deeply worried about the barriers confronting young girls. Every week, thousands are infected with HIV due to inequality, poor education, and limited access to healthcare,” he said. He pointed to period poverty, gender-based violence, and restricted reproductive rights as factors that lock girls into a cycle of risk. Worldwide, 133 million girls miss out on schooling, depriving them of the knowledge to protect themselves. Locally, child brides and coerced sexual encounters amplify the danger.
Despite the disheartening statistics, there are glimmers of hope across Nigeria. Ogun State, for example, provides treatment for 30,350 people, including 2% children, as part of a national push led by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA). However, AHF warns that momentum is stalling. As Vanguard reports, despite a steady national HIV prevalence rate of 1.4%, the infection rates among young women continue to rise due to insufficient prevention measures, including halted PrEP distributions and a lack of comprehensive sex education. The Guardian links this surge to systemic issues that strip girls of control, from rural isolation to urban shadows.
AHF Nigeria remains on the frontlines. On October 10, to mark the International Day of the Girl, AHF Nigeria hosted an empowerment event at Community Commercial Secondary School in Ikot Oku Ubo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The gathering featured menstrual health talks, leadership training, and a pitch contest where top ideas from girls won prizes. Free sanitary pads were distributed, mentorship was offered, and civil society partners like CISHAN and ECEWS joined forces with the Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Women Affairs. The aim was clear: to shield girls from HIV while fostering self-determination.
“To commemorate the International Day of the Girl, AHF Nigeria hosted an event designed to empower young girls. The event focused on menstrual health, leadership, and education while also honoring outstanding girl-driven ideas,” Aborishade explained, signaling the event as a model for nationwide expansion.
The call for action is loud and clear: increase funding for HIV and STI prevention, strengthen testing and treatment infrastructures, prioritize youth-focused healthcare, eliminate period poverty with reliable access to sanitary products, and expand sex education to directly address HIV risks. In addition, tackling gender violence and child marriage is critical in reducing the pathways that lead girls into danger. “All stakeholders must amplify girls’ voices, celebrate their achievements, and advocate for policies that safeguard their health, rights, and future opportunities,” Aborishade urged, a plea to which Nigeria’s political leaders and health authorities must respond swiftly.
On social media, voices like Nigeria Health Watch recognize pioneers like Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Karim for her contributions to preventive measures, such as gel-based HIV preventives from the CAPRISA 004 trial. Similarly, Heartland Alliance has backed girl-driven initiatives in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and the HIV response. Still, under-15s account for 9% of new infections globally, and 3% of carriers. With stakes this high, the urgency to act has never been more pressing.
In a bid to gauge the local pulse on how to shield young girls from HIV, early pregnancies, and abuse, Fairview Africa conducted interviews with residents of Abuja, exploring their perceptions of community roles and solutions. The responses were telling, revealing a deep sense of frustration and neglect from those closest to the issue.
Alice, visibly upset, didn’t hold back on the lack of action in her community: “Our community no dey try at all. All these bad things happening here—people just keep quiet about it, and it’s not right. Just last week, a man raped an 8-year-old girl, and nothing is being done about it. We pray that the government helps us. We need security men or someone to intervene to keep our girls safe.”
Gabriel, frustrated by economic deprivation, added: “This community doesn’t help these girls at all. The government should provide jobs for them. Hunger drives these girls into following boys. The government must help by creating opportunities for them, and also provide free health services so they can get tested regularly.”
David pointed to a failure in awareness: “Our society is not doing enough about HIV/AIDS or unwanted pregnancies. If there were proper awareness in schools, churches, and mosques, these things wouldn’t keep happening. There needs to be a real effort to educate everyone.”
