4,000 girls contract HIV weekly, says health foundation

In a stark warning issued for the 2025 International Day of the Girl, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has revealed that approximately 4,000 adolescent girls and young women (aged 15–24) contract HIV every week worldwide. The vast majority of these infections—more than 3,300—occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr. Steve Aborishade, AHF Nigeria’s Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager, disclosed these figures in Lokoja, highlighting the disproportionate HIV burden faced by young women.

The data underscores a severe gender disparity. In 2023, 1.9 million adolescent girls and young women were living with HIV globally, compared to 1.2 million boys and young men in the same age group.

AHF identifies several interconnected drivers of this health inequality, including 133 million girls are out of school globally, cutting off a critical pathway to health information and independence, gender-based violence and child marriage, lack of comprehensive sexuality education, period poverty and limited access to reproductive health services.

Consequently, AHF is calling for a major boost in investment for HIV and STI prevention, testing, and treatment, specifically for young women.

The organization also urges stakeholders to take concrete actions to protect girls’ rights and amplify their voices.

To commemorate the International Day of the Girl on October 11, AHF Nigeria will host an educational event on October 10 at a secondary school in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The event, which will be attended by government officials and civil society partners, aims to protect girls from HIV, celebrate their achievements, and expand their opportunities. Activities will include:

· Menstrual hygiene education and distribution of free sanitary pads.

· Leadership talks and a platform for girls to present innovative ideas, with awards for the best ones.

· Linking participants to mentorship and leadership development programs.

Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria Country Programme Director, expressed deep concern over the challenges young girls face, stating the event is a direct response to issues like poor menstrual health and limited access to healthcare.

AHF is the world’s largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider, offering services to over 2.5 million people across 50 countries.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

See author's posts