Plateau State has documented 1,910 new HIV-positive cases during the first nine months of 2025, according to health authorities. The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Ba'amlong, disclosed this concerning development during a press conference held on Sunday ahead of World AIDS Day 2025 celebrations.
Comprehensive Testing and Treatment Efforts
The health ministry conducted HIV screening for 98,403 residents between January and September 2025, identifying the new cases. Dr. Ba'amlong confirmed that 1,859 individuals who tested positive have already been enrolled on antiretroviral therapy across various health facilities in the state.
In a significant move to strengthen the healthcare response, Governor Caleb Mutfwang approved funding for purchasing HIV dual test kits. These essential medical supplies have been distributed to health centers statewide to improve testing capacity and accessibility.
HIV Statistics and Demographic Breakdown
The commissioner provided detailed statistics showing the current HIV landscape in Plateau State. As of September 2025, the state has an estimated 51,370 people living with HIV, with 47,056 individuals currently receiving antiretroviral treatment.
The gender distribution reveals 14,001 males and 33,055 females on ART. Among children, 1,835 are receiving treatment, comprising 882 boys and 953 girls.
Comparing year-on-year data, Dr. Ba'amlong noted that Plateau recorded 2,786 new infections and 460 HIV-related deaths throughout 2024.
Prevention and Policy Advancements
Significant progress has been made in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Within the same nine-month period, health workers tested 30,743 pregnant women for HIV, with 39 positive cases immediately connected to treatment programs.
The commissioner attributed the steady decline in new infections to expanded awareness campaigns, strengthened partnerships, and the extension of HIV testing services to over 900 health facilities, including faith-based institutions and traditional birth centers.
In a major policy shift, Dr. Ba'amlong announced that the Federal Ministry of Health has approved reducing the age of consent for HIV testing and counseling to 14 years. This strategic move aims to improve testing rates among adolescents, who remain highly vulnerable to infection.
The state government reaffirmed its commitment to scaling up treatment access points, ensuring uninterrupted ART supply, expanding youth-friendly services, eliminating mother-to-child transmission, combating stigma, and supporting research for improved prevention and treatment outcomes.
Dr. Ba'amlong praised healthcare workers, non-governmental organizations, implementing partners, and community groups for their relentless efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He encouraged young people to prioritize prevention and early testing while appealing to partners to sustain collaborative efforts.
Earlier activities marking World AIDS Day included a church service at St. Finbarr's Catholic Church in Rayfield, Jos, where the Executive Director of Plateau State AIDS Control Agency, Mrs. Esther Turaki, joined other stakeholders. Participants including the Parish Priest, Very Rev. Dennis Mancha, and Ezekiel Afan from the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS collectively urged communities to fight stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.
