The Chief Executive Officer of APIN Public Health Initiatives, Prof. Prosper Okonkwo, has declared that the organization has fundamentally transformed the HIV/AIDS landscape in Nigeria over the past quarter-century. Reflecting on the situation in the year 2000, he noted that many Nigerians living with HIV faced severe stigma, hopelessness, and near-certain death due to the lack of accessible antiretroviral treatment and limited public health infrastructure.
Okonkwo made these remarks during a press briefing in Abuja to commemorate APIN's 25th anniversary, where the organization reviewed its journey, impact, and future direction in Nigeria's public health sector. The anniversary theme, "A Legacy of Impact. A Tradition of Excellence. A Future Redefined," according to APIN leadership, encapsulates both the achievements of the past 25 years and the commitment to strengthening Nigeria's healthcare system moving forward.
Okonkwo stated: "In the year 2000, a person living with HIV in Nigeria was, in most cases, living with a death sentence. There were no antiretroviral drugs widely available. There was no pathway to an undetectable viral load. The idea that an HIV-positive person could one day marry an HIV-negative partner and never transmit the virus was not a conversation anyone was having. An HIV-positive person was too busy trying to stay alive and hide their status from anyone to think of marriage. The idea that a woman living with HIV could carry a pregnancy, deliver a healthy child, breastfeed that child, and watch that child grow up free of the virus was not a reality most people believed was possible here. People were dying. Families were being destroyed. And the silence around it was deafening."
According to him, APIN was established at that critical moment as AIDS Prevention Initiatives in Nigeria, a project of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support Nigeria's response to the HIV epidemic. He noted that APIN's interventions over the years have included training healthcare workers, building laboratory systems, strengthening treatment programs, and supporting prevention campaigns across communities.
He said APIN currently supports comprehensive HIV treatment for over 319,000 people living with HIV in 434 health facilities across Nigeria, with operational footprints in 30 states. He added: "Today, a person living with HIV can achieve full viral suppression and live a healthy, productive life. They can have children who are born free of the virus. They can marry, work, and lead, and the virus does not have to define any of it. Our laboratory network processes millions of samples annually, providing the diagnostic backbone for treatment decisions that improve health outcomes."
Okonkwo emphasized that APIN has evolved from a donor-funded HIV project into an indigenous public health institution delivering evidence-based interventions across Nigeria's healthcare value chain. Despite these achievements, he acknowledged that Nigeria still faces serious public health challenges, including persistent HIV infections, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and weak health financing systems. He assured that the organization would continue working with government and development partners to strengthen the country's healthcare system.
In his remarks, APIN Deputy CEO for Programs, Dr. Jay Osi Samuels, said the organization has begun diversifying beyond HIV programming in response to changing global funding realities and evolving healthcare needs. He explained that although reductions in international donor support have created challenges, APIN has already initiated "scenario planning" to sustain operations and expand into broader public health interventions. Samuels stated: "We realized that, because of the investments made through HIV interventions, we now have the capacity, capabilities, and experience to do much more. So we started applying for grants in other areas. The way we operate is that we mostly work through donor funding. We identify gaps and opportunities where funding exists and if we secure the grant, then we work in that area. But everywhere we went, people still identified us solely with HIV/AIDS. That was one of the reasons we transitioned from the old name, AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria. Because of the impact of our work, the APIN name had already become a respected and reputable brand. So, while expanding beyond HIV into broader public health interventions, we retained the APIN identity."
He added that the organization has also established a New Business Development Directorate to engage philanthropists, corporate foundations, and other partners for future sustainability. Also speaking at the event, APIN's Associate Director of Strategic Information, Dr. Mikhail Obaje, presented data highlighting the organization's achievements across five states: Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Plateau, and Benue. According to Obaje, APIN conducted over 13.5 million HIV tests between 2016 and March 2026, identified 305,482 persons living with HIV, and successfully linked 98 percent of them to treatment. He disclosed that 314,804 clients are currently on treatment, while viral suppression among eligible clients stands at 96 percent. Obaje further revealed that more than 2.5 million children and adolescents had been tested for HIV, while over 60,000 HIV-positive pregnant women were placed on treatment, resulting in over 82,000 HIV-exposed infants being born HIV-free.
APIN Director for Strategic Information, Uche Okezie, clarified that global funding constraints are limiting patient access to antiretroviral treatment. Okezie assured that the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) is addressing the issue.
