We support HIV treatment for 319,000 Nigerians across 434 facilities – APIN

APIN Public Health Initiatives currently provides comprehensive HIV treatment services to more than 319,000 Nigerians through 434 health facilities across 30 states, its Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Prosper Okonkwo, disclosed on Friday. Okonkwo spoke in Abuja during a press conference marking the organisation’s 25th anniversary, where he highlighted APIN’s contributions to Nigeria’s health sector and […]

APIN Public Health Initiatives currently provides comprehensive HIV treatment services to more than 319,000 Nigerians through 434 health facilities across 30 states, its Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Prosper Okonkwo, disclosed on Friday.

Okonkwo spoke in Abuja during a press conference marking the organisation’s 25th anniversary, where he highlighted APIN’s contributions to Nigeria’s health sector and reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening healthcare systems across the country.

He said the organisation, which began in 2000 as AIDS Prevention Initiatives in Nigeria, has evolved into an indigenous non-governmental organisation implementing evidence-based interventions across multiple disease areas.

“APIN has left its operational footprint in 30 of Nigeria’s 36 states. We deliver comprehensive HIV treatment to over 319,000 people living with HIV, supporting 434 health facilities across Nigeria,” he said.

According to Okonkwo, APIN’s journey reflects Nigeria’s progress in tackling HIV/AIDS over the past 25 years, noting that access to treatment was extremely limited when the organisation was established.

“In the year 2000, a person living with HIV in Nigeria was, in most cases, living with a death sentence,” he said.

He noted that the expansion of antiretroviral therapy, prevention programmes and stronger healthcare systems has significantly improved outcomes for people living with HIV.

“Today, a person living with HIV can achieve full viral suppression and live a healthy, productive life. They can have children who are born free of the virus. They can marry, work, and lead, and the virus does not have to define any of it,” he stated.

Unveiling the anniversary theme, “A Legacy of Impact. A Tradition of Excellence. A Future Redefined,” Okonkwo said it reflects the organisation’s achievements and future aspirations.

He also highlighted APIN’s investments in laboratory infrastructure, workforce development and community-based health interventions.

“We trained cadres of healthcare workers across supported health facilities. We built laboratories that now anchor diagnostic networks across multiple states. We built treatment programmes that have kept hundreds of thousands of Nigerians alive and in care,” he said.

Okonkwo added that APIN’s laboratory network processes millions of samples annually, providing critical diagnostic services that support treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes.

Despite the progress recorded, he warned that significant public health challenges remain.

“HIV remains a public health problem in many states. Drug-resistant tuberculosis is growing. Our health financing systems are fragile,” he said.

He stressed that APIN would continue supporting government efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery through evidence generation, capacity building and health systems development.

“APIN cannot solve all of this, but we can, and we will, continue to do what we do best: build systems, generate evidence, train people, and work alongside government and partners to make this health system more capable than we found it,” he added.

The APIN chief expressed appreciation to the organisation’s founders, staff, development partners and government institutions, particularly the United States Government through PEPFAR and CDC, for their support over the years.

“APIN at 25 is not a conclusion. It is an opportunity to take stock of how far we have come, how much remains, and the responsibility that comes with having built something that works,” he said.

He reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to sustaining its impact and helping build a stronger and more resilient healthcare system for Nigerians.

“We intend to honour that responsibility,” Okonkwo stated.