The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), South-South Zone, marks World AIDS Day 2025 with a call for renewed urgency in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. This year’s theme—“Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response”—signals a critical moment as decades of progress face the threat of funding cuts, service disruptions, and widening inequalities.
In 2024, the world recorded 40.8 million people living with HIV, 1.3 million new infections, and 630,000 AIDS-related deaths—figures that reflect lives lost and communities impacted. These realities demand immediate and coordinated action.
This year’s World AIDS Day also falls within the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a period dedicated to challenging the inequalities and harmful practices that disproportionately expose women and girls to HIV infection. NAWOJ South-South stresses that gender-based violence, economic vulnerability, and discriminatory cultural norms continue to heighten HIV risk for women—especially young women and adolescents. Addressing these root causes is essential for an effective and equitable AIDS response. Protecting women and girls from violence is not only a human rights priority but a public health imperative.
NAWOJ South-South urges all stakeholders to intensify efforts toward ending AIDS by 2030:
- Governments must demonstrate political will through adequate funding, effective policies, and sustained implementation.
- International partners must fulfill commitments and close funding gaps that continue to cost lives.
- Health institutions must end service interruptions and ensure equitable access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care—especially in remote and underserved areas.
- Community leaders must challenge stigma and discrimination that keep individuals from seeking lifesaving services.
- Policymakers must protect the rights of key populations who remain disproportionately affected.
- Media and civil society must continue amplifying marginalized voices and demanding transparency and accountability.
To transform the AIDS response, NAWOJ South-South emphasizes the need for:
- Simplified and decentralized HIV services;
- Stronger systems to manage drug resistance and advanced HIV disease;
- Integration of HIV services into primary healthcare;
- Scaled-up access to long-acting antiretroviral therapies for prevention and treatment.
NAWOJ South-South stands resolute: this is not the time for incremental progress. The future of millions depends on decisive action taken now. As we observe World AIDS Day within the 16 Days of Activism, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing gender equality, protecting vulnerable populations, and demanding a more equitable, effective, and transformative AIDS response.
Signed:
Comrade Stella Macaulay – Zonal Vice Chairperson, NAWOJ South-South
Comrade Eunice Emeyazia – Zonal Secretary, NAWOJ South-South
