The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has issued a urgent call to action, revealing that approximately 4,000 adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24 are becoming newly infected with HIV each week worldwide.
In all Of these devastating cases, more than 3,300 occur in sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring a profound gender inequality that threatens the health and futures of an entire generation.
The alarming statistic was highlighted in a statement released by AHF Nigeria on Wednesday, coinciding with preparations for the 2025 International Day of the Girl (IDG) observed today, October 11.
As the world's largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider, AHF delivers services to over 2.5 million people across 50 countries, including extensive programs in Nigeria.
Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager Steve Aborishade emphasized the disproportionate burden on young women, noting, "Globally, adolescent girls and young women face a disproportionate HIV burden. In spite of progress, the numbers remain alarming, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa."
Data from the United Nations AIDS agency (UNAIDS) corroborates AHF's figures, confirming that in 2024 alone, 4,000 young women in this age group contracted the virus weekly, with the vast majority in the region.
This compares starkly to 1.2 million boys and young men in the same age group living with HIV in 2023, versus 1.9 million girls and young women—a gap that experts attribute to intersecting factors like limited access to education, gender-based violence, inadequate sexual and reproductive health services, and economic vulnerabilities.
"Every week, thousands of young girls become infected with HIV because of inequality, poor education, and lack of access to health services," said Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria's Country Programme Director.
He pointed to additional barriers, including poor menstrual health management and child marriage, which exacerbate risks. Globally, 133 million girls remain out of school, severing pathways to health literacy and empowerment.
In Nigeria, where the HIV epidemic is generalized with regional hotspots—particularly in the south-south states like Akwa Ibom—AHF is intensifying efforts to combat these trends.
The organization has long advocated for scaling up prevention, testing, and treatment amid the country's high burden: an estimated 1.9 million people live with HIV, with adolescent girls facing elevated risks due to cultural and structural inequities.
