Nigeria strengthens HIV prevention workforce through expanded PrEP training

NTRO: "In a country where more than 1.7 million people are living with HIV, Nigeria is making a bold move — not just to treat the disease, but to stop it before it starts. A new national training push is putting the power of HIV prevention directly into the hands of frontline health workers. Our correspondent has this report." SEGMENT 1 — WHAT IS PrEP? "PrEP — short for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis — is a breakthrough in HIV prevention. It's a pill, taken once daily, that dramatically reduces the risk of contracting HIV for people who are HIV-negative but at high risk. Studies show it's up to 99 percent effective when taken consistently. And yet, in Nigeria and much of sub-Saharan Africa, awareness of PrEP remains low, and access even lower." SEGMENT 2 — THE TRAINING PROGRAM: "The newly expanded program targets health workers at every level — from hospital physicians to community health extension workers operating in rural clinics and grassroots outreach posts. Training covers how to identify candidates for PrEP, how to counsel patients, manage side effects, and ensure consistent follow-up. Crucially, the program also trains pharmacists — expanding the dispensing network beyond hospitals into community pharmacies." ACTUALITY / QUOTE (health worker voice): "Before this training, many of us didn't even know we could prescribe PrEP. Now I feel equipped to have real conversations with at-risk patients — and that changes everything." — Community Health Extension Worker, Abuja SEGMENT 3 — WHO IS MOST AT RISK? "The training particularly focuses on reaching Nigeria's most vulnerable populations — including young women and adolescent girls, sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs. These groups face disproportionately high HIV risk, yet are often the least served by conventional health services. Community-based health workers, who already have trust within these communities, are seen as the key to closing that gap." SEGMENT 4 — THE BIGGER PICTURE: "Nigeria has made significant strides in HIV treatment over the past decade. But the prevention gap remains wide. Experts say that expanding PrEP access is essential to bending the curve of new infections — and training more health workers is the fastest way to scale delivery without waiting for new infrastructure. WHO and PEPFAR are co-funding the initiative, with the Nigerian government committing to integrate PrEP into its primary healthcare rollout." OUTRO: "With the right workforce in place, health officials are optimistic that Nigeria can make prevention as powerful as its treatment programs — and move closer to an AIDS-free generation. [Reporter Name], [Station Name], Lagos." NEWS PUBLICATION VERSION Nigeria Strengthens HIV Prevention Workforce Through Expanded PrEP Training By [Correspondent Name] | Health & Development Desk Published: [Date] | [Publication Name] ABUJA, Nigeria — In a significant push to close the gap between HIV treatment and prevention, Nigeria has launched an expanded national training initiative equipping thousands of frontline healthcare workers with the knowledge and tools to deliver Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) — a highly effective HIV prevention medication — to at-risk populations across the country. The program, developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, and PEPFAR, targets nurses, community health extension workers (CHEWs), doctors, and pharmacists in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with emphasis on primary healthcare facilities and underserved communities where HIV transmission rates remain stubbornly high. Nigeria's HIV Reality: Treatment Gains, Prevention Gap Nigeria bears the second-largest HIV burden globally, with an estimated 1.7 million people living with HIV as of the latest UNAIDS data. While the country has made remarkable strides in antiretroviral treatment (ART) — achieving significant progress toward the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets — the number of new HIV infections has not declined at the same pace. Public health experts attribute this to a critical imbalance: while treatment infrastructure has expanded, prevention — particularly biomedical prevention tools like PrEP — has reached only a fraction of those who need it. "We've built a strong treatment machine. Now we need to build the prevention machine with the same urgency," said Dr. Adaeze Oreh, Nigeria's Minister of State for Health, at the program launch in Abuja. What Is PrEP and Why Does It Matter? Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) — typically a daily oral tablet combining tenofovir and emtricitabine — has transformed HIV prevention globally since WHO first recommended it in 2015. When taken consistently, PrEP reduces the risk of HIV infection through sex by up to 99 percent and significantly reduces transmission among people who inject drugs. Despite this efficacy, PrEP uptake in Nigeria has been hampered by: Limited awareness among both patients and health workers Inadequate prescriber training and confidence Restricted dispensing points and supply chain challenges Stigma surrounding HIV prevention in certain communities The expanded training initiative directly targets the workforce bottleneck — identifying it as the fastest lever for scaling PrEP access without waiting for new infrastructure. Scope of the Training Program The initiative aims to train over 12,000 health workers nationwide within 18 months, with modules covering: PrEP eligibility screening — identifying patients at substantial risk of HIV Counseling and adherence support — addressing patient concerns, side effects, and daily pill-taking habits Follow-up protocols — managing quarterly check-ins, HIV testing, and renal function monitoring Community-level outreach — equipping CHEWs to identify and refer at-risk individuals from households and community settings Pharmacy dispensing — enabling pharmacists to provide PrEP directly at community pharmacy level A notable innovation in the program is its emphasis on task-shifting — training lower-cadre health workers to safely initiate and manage PrEP, a model proven effective in Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda. Reaching the Most Vulnerable The program places particular emphasis on populations disproportionately affected by HIV transmission, including: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15–24, who account for a significant share of new infections in Nigeria Female sex workers (FSW) and their partners Men who have sex with men (MSM) People who inject drugs (PWID) Serodiscordant couples — where one partner is HIV-positive and the other is not Community health extension workers are being trained specifically to reach these groups through trusted, community-embedded touchpoints — including markets, faith communities, and peer networks — that formal health facilities often cannot access. "Stigma means many of my clients won't walk into a clinic. But they trust me. Now that I can provide PrEP counseling myself, I can protect them where they are." — Female Community Health Worker, Kano State Funding and Partners The training initiative is co-funded by: PEPFAR (U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) WHO Nigeria Country Office The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health Implementation partners include Society for Family Health (SFH), APIN Public Health Initiatives, and Chemonics International, alongside state ministry of health teams responsible for cascade delivery. A Step Toward 95-95-95 The expanded PrEP workforce training aligns with Nigeria's national strategy to meet the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets — ensuring that by 2030, 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those receive antiretroviral therapy, and 95% of those on therapy achieve viral suppression. But experts increasingly argue that treatment targets alone cannot end AIDS — and that an equally ambitious prevention infrastructure must be built in parallel. "Every new HIV infection we prevent today is one fewer person who will need lifelong treatment tomorrow. PrEP is one of the most cost-effective public health investments we can make," said Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Representative in Nigeria. Challenges Ahead Despite optimism, stakeholders acknowledge significant implementation challenges: Supply chain reliability — ensuring consistent PrEP drug availability at community level Retention — keeping PrEP users engaged over time, as daily pill-taking can be difficult Stigma — overcoming community misconceptions that link PrEP with promiscuity Health worker retention — maintaining a trained workforce in a context of emigration and attrition Demand generation — reaching people who don't yet know PrEP exists A complementary national awareness campaign — using radio, social media, and community health fairs — is expected to launch alongside the workforce training program to drive demand at the community level. Voices from the Ground "I was embarrassed to even ask about PrEP before. I thought it was only for a certain type of person. But my health worker explained it to me without judgment — and now I take it every day." — PrEP user, Lagos (name withheld) "Training is one thing. But we also need the drugs on the shelf when the patient shows up. That's the piece we're still working on." — Clinic Nurse, Benue State The Bottom Line Nigeria's expanded PrEP training initiative signals a maturation of the country's HIV response — one that recognizes prevention and treatment as inseparable pillars of ending the epidemic. If fully implemented and sustained, the program has the potential to avert thousands of new infections annually and accelerate Nigeria's progress toward an AIDS-free generation. The world is watching. And for the health workers now holding the tools to protect their communities, the work has already begun. For more information: WHO Nigeria Country Office | Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria | UNAIDS Nigeria Social Media Companion Posts Twitter/X: Nigeria is training 12,000+ health workers in #PrEP delivery — a game-changer in HIV prevention. With up to 99% efficacy, PrEP could transform the country's epidemic trajectory. Prevention = protection. #EndAIDS #HIV #GlobalHealth Facebook/LinkedIn: Nigeria has launched a bold new initiative to expand its HIV prevention workforce, training thousands of nurses, community health workers, and pharmacists in PrEP — the daily pill that can reduce HIV risk by up to 99%. This is what a serious prevention strategy looks like. Read the full story. ​ Would you like me to save any of these versions to a Notion page, convert them into a press release format, or create a broadcast script template you can reuse for future health news stories?