By Ojoma Akor
The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has called for stronger youth-centered harm reduction interventions, warning that Nigeria may struggle to sustain gains in HIV prevention if adolescents and young people are not prioritized in response efforts.
IHVN’s Lead for Prevention and Key Populations, Mrs. Comfort Ochigbo, said. At the same time, interventions targeting adults remain important, greater attention must be given to young people who face growing risks linked to drug use, HIV infection, stigma, and limited access to care.
She said, “To ensure sustainability and effectiveness, harm reduction interventions should focus more on adolescents and young people.”
She highlighted the need for government and stakeholders to actively include youths in the design and implementation of harm reduction programs.
Ochigbo explained that harm reduction focuses on protecting the health and safety of young people rather than punishing them for drug use.
She said the approach helps reduce the dangers associated with drug use while connecting beneficiaries to treatment, counseling, and support services.
“Harm reduction services such as clean needle programs, HIV testing, counseling, and medication-assisted treatment help reduce these risks and prevent overdose deaths,” she said, adding that medicines like naloxone can reverse opioid overdose and save lives.
She noted that growing drug use among young Nigerians has exposed the need for broader prevention strategies beyond conventional HIV testing and counseling services.
Citing findings from the 2018 World Drug Use Survey, Ochigbo said more than 14 million Nigerians use drugs, with young people accounting for a significant proportion of users. “This highlighted the need for more targeted interventions to reach a wider community of people who use drugs,” she said.
The expert noted that age-related barriers, discrimination, and stigma continue to prevent many young people from accessing life-saving services. “At IHVN, we are advocating to ensure that no one is denied harm reduction services because of age, stigma, or identity,” she said.
She said the organization is promoting integrated service delivery through the Minimum Package of Prevention Interventions (MPPI), aimed at ensuring prevention services are delivered in a coordinated and comprehensive manner across available national structures and institutions.
She also called for increased investment in prevention programs, adding that prevention funding currently accounts for only about 9 percent of total health investments in the country.
“We are advocating for increased resource allocation toward prevention programs,” she added.
Ochigbo further stressed the need for structured rehabilitation systems across the country through stronger collaboration among Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), including the Ministries of Youth and Sports and Women Affairs.
She explained that IHVN works with national programs and strategic plans to provide targeted support for vulnerable and at-risk populations.
Beyond health services, she said the organization is expanding economic empowerment, education, and skills development initiatives, while strengthening gender-based violence prevention and response systems to support the reintegration of people who use drugs into society.
“We cannot end HIV without protecting young people, and we cannot protect young people without scaling up harm reduction interventions,” she said.
Ochigbo added that harm reduction should not be viewed as encouraging risky behavior but rather as an opportunity to expand access to care, support, and meaningful conversations that help young people make safer, healthier choices.
She noted that psychosocial support and economic empowerment have become critical components of IHVN’s interventions, alongside community and caregiver support systems designed to help beneficiaries reintegrate successfully into society.
IHVN Enrolls More Young Nigerians in Harm Reduction
Amid Rising Drug Risks
Ochigbo said increasing numbers of youths are being enrolled in harm reduction programs implemented by IHVN to reduce drug-related harms and improve access to care and support.
She said that over 300 clients have enrolled in the Institute’s MAT program since it began as a pilot initiative in Gombe State.
According to her, the intervention targets young people and other vulnerable populations, especially people who use drugs, who face increased risks of HIV, hepatitis, and other health complications.
To strengthen the response, she said IHVN integrated additional interventions into its harm reduction program, including the Needle and Syringe Program (NSP), Opioid Substitution Therapy — known in Nigeria as Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) — and the use of naloxone for overdose reversal.
Ochigbo described behavioral change among beneficiaries as one of the program’s major achievements, noting that many young people now enroll voluntarily or through peer referrals.
She added that although some beneficiaries may not stop using drugs immediately, the program helps them adopt safer behaviors, access treatment and support, rebuild family relationships, and gradually return to productive lives.
