Condom Use Collapses in Nigeria, UNAIDS Warns of Looming HIV Surge
A fresh alarm has been raised by UNAIDS as new data reveals a dramatic 55 percent drop in condom distribution across Nigeria, signalling what the Agency describes as a dangerous unraveling of HIV-prevention systems in one of Africa’s most populous Nation.
The revelation comes in the UNAIDS 2025 World AIDS Day Report, “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response,” which paints an unsettling picture of how declining funding, weakened community structures and restricted civic space are reversing years of progress.
According to UNAIDS, the sharp decline in condom availability in Nigeria mirrors a broader collapse in essential HIV-prevention services, including testing, community outreach, treatment support and public-health programmes that target vulnerable groups.
The report notes that these setbacks have been compounded by shrinking donor commitments, particularly in low- and middle-income Countries that depend heavily on international financing for their health responses.
The consequences are already severe across Africa. In 13 Countries studied, significantly fewer people are starting HIV treatment compared to previous years. UNAIDS disclosed that about 450,000 women in sub-Saharan Africa — many of them pregnant or breastfeeding — have lost access to “mother mentors,” trained community health workers who offer support, guidance and linkage to care for women living with HIV.
The Agency also found that over 60 percent of women-led community organisations have been forced to suspend essential services due to dwindling resources.
Young women remain particularly vulnerable. Even before the recent disruptions, an estimated 570 new HIV infections occurred daily among women aged 15 to 24.
With prevention systems weakened, UNAIDS warns that infection numbers within this group could rise sharply. Its modelling suggests that between 2025 and 2030, the world may witness an additional 3.3 million HIV infections if preventive programmes are not restored to full strength.
The crisis unfolding in Nigeria is especially concerning because of the Vountry’s size and its critical role in regional public-health outcomes.
A significant slide in Nigeria’s HIV-prevention capacity could undermine continental gains and derail global ambitions to end AIDS as a public-health threat by 2030.
UNAIDS emphasises that disruptions in condom distribution, access to preventive medication, community-led interventions and treatment support represent setbacks that could take years to recover from if urgent action is not taken.
Speaking from Geneva, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima warned that the current situation reflects the fragility of global HIV progress. She stressed that behind every statistic are real individuals and families who depend on stable, accessible health services to survive.
Byanyima called on world leaders to renew both financial and political commitments to HIV responses, insisting that donor nations, development partners and Governments must act swiftly to prevent a deepening crisis.
The Agency also urged investment in modern prevention innovations, including affordable long-acting HIV-prevention options, alongside strengthened community-led health networks that have long proven effective in reaching high-risk populations. Human-rights protections, UNAIDS added, must be upheld to ensure that vulnerable groups retain access to vital services without fear or discrimination.
For Nigeria and many similar Countries, the urgency is now unmistakable. Without renewed funding, improved policy support and strengthened community involvement, the world could see decades of progress against HIV swiftly undone.
