A new Nigerian study has shown that HIV test rate among youths has risen from seven per cent to 80 per cent in two years, using HIV self-testing kits.
Researchers, who carried out the study at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR, in collaboration with Washington University and University of North Carolina, found that 20 per cent of young Nigerians have used drugs at some point in their lives.
Speaking during the Close-Out celebration of ‘4 Youth by Youths’, held in Lagos, the Director of Research at NIMR, Prof. Oliver Ezechi, who is also the personal investigator of the study – Innovative Tools to Expand HIV Self Testing (ITEST), lamented that HIV was raging among youths.
He said without proper control, Nigeria’s future was at risk because of lack of control of over 65 million youths.
Ezechi said the study began in 2018 with funding by the National Institute of Health, to investigate increase of HIV self-testing uptake among Nigerians.
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He said 60 youth research facilitators in 32 local governments across Nigeria enrolled in the study, with over 90 per cent of participants followed up for 24 months.
The Director General, NIMR, Prof Babatunde Salako, said it was important to involve youths in projects that concerned them, as they had innovative ideas.
Prof. Juliet Iwelunmor, a Washington University professor, revealed in an overview that HIV testing in Nigeria was at the bottom five years ago, with one in five young Nigerians testing for the virus.
The Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State AIDS Control Programme, Dr. Folakemi Animashaun, who said the ITEST was a youth and community-driven programme, described it as inspiring.
The Director of National Community and the Special Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Nwaokewuya Peter, stressed the need to engage youths and support them to contribute to the response in achieving an HIV and AIDS free nation.