By Ojoma Akor
Heartland Alliance LTD/GTE (HALG), a non-governmental organization, says it has reached 1,606,299 people with HIV prevention services this year.
The Chief Executive Officer of the organization, Dr. Bartholomew Ochonye, disclosed this in Abuja during a news briefing ahead of this year’s World AIDS Day. The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response.”
Represented by Winifred Adoh-Gompil, Financial Controller, Heartland Alliance LTD/GTE (HALG), he said 1,303,184 people have been reached with HIV testing services, while eighty-eight thousand fifty-five individuals are currently on life-saving treatment.
He said that the organization has continued to reach communities across the state with the services that keep families healthy, informed, and supported. The states are Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Adamawa, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Kano, Lagos, Niger, Rivers, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Taraba, Zamfara, Yobe, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Ochonye highlighted that HALG has been able to reach hundreds of thousands with prevention, testing, treatment, and ongoing care even in hard-to-reach and underserved areas through landmark initiatives such as the Elton John AIDS Foundation youth-focused programme, the ViiV healthcare positive action sexual and reproductive health and harm reduction project for women who use and inject drugs, and various other international donor-funded projects.
He also said that in 2025, 17 HALG-supported sites were certified as community clinics, 22,618 survivors of gender-based violence were supported with care and referral, and eight health facilities and communities were reached through drone-enabled delivery of Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs)
He said, “These achievements are not just numbers. They represent mothers who remained in care, young people who stayed HIV-negative, survivors who found safety, and families who regained hope.”
He said this year’s commemoration also aligns with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a reminder that HIV and gender-based violence are deeply intertwined.
He said, “Stigma, discrimination, and violence continue to increase vulnerability and hinder access to essential health services. At HALG, our gender and human rights programming ensures that survivors receive compassionate, survivor-centred support, while communities and systems work together to break the cycle of violence.”
He said the organization’s approach to transformation is simple but powerful: integrate, innovate.
He said these include the following:
-Integrate HIV services with TB treatment, cervical cancer screening, immunisation, sexual and reproductive health and harm reduction, mental health, and human-rights programming.
-Innovate by leveraging community clinics, digital tools, drone delivery, and differentiated models of care.
-Include everyone, no matter who they are, where they live, or what challenges they face.
He said HALG remains committed to expanding access for under-served populations, strengthening community health systems, and pushing for sustainable financing through approaches like the total market approach.
Ending AIDS is more than a public health goal. It is a matter of justice. It is a commitment to dignity. It is a promise to every Nigerian that their life matters,” he added.
He highlighted that despite disruptions over the past few years, HIV programming globally and in Nigeria has confronted multiple disruptions.
He said, “We have seen shrinking donor resources, competing health priorities, structural barriers within communities, and the lingering effects of economic instability. According to UNAIDS, these disruptions continue to place immense strain on prevention and treatment services, threatening to reverse hard-won progress.
“Yet, we are gathered here today because disruption does not define us; response does. And at HALG, our response has been clear: adapt, strengthen, and keep people at the centre. Today, we honour the communities, health workers, partners, donors, survivors, advocates, and policymakers who continue to show unwavering resilience.”
He added that the organization recommits to the work ahead, ensuring that disruption does not win, and that every step taken strengthens Nigeria’s journey toward ending AIDS by 2030.
