By Francis Ajuonuma
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), has trained health workers in the use of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), including lenacapavir (LEN PrEP), to strengthen uptake and the country’s HIV prevention response.
The three-day training was organized through the National HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Program (NASCP) in Lagos, Nigeria.
Thirty -two health workers drawn from the various southern states were trained during the program.
Dr Chioma Ukanwa, Head of Prevention at NASCP, said the training is designed to build national capacity through a standardized, high-quality approach and to ensure a sustainable HIV prevention response.
She said, “It will equip master trainers with the technical knowledge, facilitation skills and practical competencies required to cascade LEN PrEP training to healthcare workers and community stakeholders across the country.”
She said the Master trainers will cascade knowledge to healthcare workers and community stakeholders across the country.
Dr Ukanwa said PrEP is a critical biomedical intervention in reducing new HIV infections and preventing transmission, adding that lenacapavir, the twice-yearly injectable launched in March, provides an additional option for people at risk.
She said that while biomedical tools such as PrEP are essential, behavioral and social strategies remain important. She noted that abstinence, fidelity, and condom use continue to be promoted alongside biomedical interventions.
She highlighted that integrating oral and injectable PrEP options is intended to provide individuals with choices that suit their circumstances and preferences.
The WHO’s Lagos State Coordinator, Dr Chinyere Okafor, said the Training of Trainers program for the Northern States was conducted last week, and that the current Southern States cluster training is taking place at a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s HIV response.
Dr Okafor said, “As the country continues to expand access to oral PrEP and long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA), while introducing newer innovations such as lenacapavir (LEN), building a skilled and competent health workforce has never been more critical. This training represents a vital investment in that capacity.”
She commended the multidisciplinary composition of participants comprising medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, state program teams, and academia.
She said PrEP delivery is a collaborative, client-centered effort that requires the combined expertise of health service providers to ensure effective counseling, commodity security, service integration, and continuity of care across populations, including adolescents and key populations.
She said, “By the end of this training, you will join the pool of certified national and state-level trainers. You will be equipped to cascade standardized PrEP training and mentor healthcare providers in your respective states, ensuring that clients nationwide receive high-quality, compassionate, and evidence-based PrEP services. I encourage your active participation, experience sharing, and collaboration throughout this training.
” The knowledge and skills gained here have the potential to transform HIV prevention efforts and save lives across Nigeria.”
She also said WHO remains fully committed to supporting Nigeria’s goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
“The WHO is proud to provide technical and financial support for this initiative. Through adherence to global and national guidelines, we aim to ensure that high-quality PrEP services are delivered effectively across all levels of the health system. Training a new cadre of national and state-level trainers who will in turn cascade quality PrEP services to every corner of Nigeria,” she added.
A participant, Prof. Samuel Ebede of the Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), said the training will help increase awareness of and access to HIV prevention services across the country.
Another participant, Dr Ufuoma Edewor, NASCP Program Manager in Rivers State, said that PrEP is a game-changer in HIV prevention, adding that lenacapavir provides an option for people who have difficulty taking daily medication.
