UNAIDS: Nigeria Records 55% Drop in Condom Distribution
The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) says condom distribution in Nigeria has fallen by 55 per cent over the past year, highlighting growing disruptions to the global HIV response.
The statistic was included in UNAIDS’ 2025 World AIDS Day report, Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response, released on Tuesday. The agency warned that the world is facing its most significant setback in HIV prevention and treatment in decades.
According to the report, HIV prevention, testing, and community-led services have been disrupted in many countries, with declines in the number of people starting treatment across 13 nations. It also noted that 450,000 women in sub-Saharan Africa have lost access to “mother mentors,” community workers who help link them to care.
UNAIDS blamed abrupt funding cuts and worsening human rights conditions for undermining essential services globally.
Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said the funding crisis is exposing vulnerabilities in progress made over years.
“Behind every data point are people—babies missing HIV screening, young women cut off from prevention, and communities suddenly without care,” she said.
The agency noted that adolescent girls and young women remain among the most affected, with 570 new HIV infections recorded daily among females aged 15–24.
More than 60 per cent of women-led organisations have suspended key services due to lack of funding, while UNAIDS modelling shows that if prevention efforts are not restored, an additional 3.3 million HIV infections could occur between 2025 and 2030.
International health assistance is also projected to decline sharply, with OECD estimates indicating a 30–40 per cent drop in 2025 compared with 2023.
UNAIDS called on world leaders to renew commitments to global solidarity, increase HIV funding, support innovation—including affordable long-acting prevention—and protect human rights. It stressed that communities remain central to an effective HIV response.
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