700,000 Nigerian youth are HIV/AIDS positive – UNAIDS

It has been disclosed that over 700,000 youth are living with HIV/AIDS in Nigerian.

The Executive Director of the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Michel Sidibe, who disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday said that “an estimated 700,000 young people aged 15 to 32 are living with HIV—a number nearly one-fifth of the total population of HIV-positive people in Nigeria.

According to data from the UN body, Nigeria is at the risk of the danger of new HIV infections if its youths are not properly educated about the effects of the virus.”

Mr. Sidibe, who spoke during the event in Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory, advocated the quick passage of the HIV/AIDS anti-stigmatisation and discrimination bill.

He also called on the Federal Government to speed up the passage of the bill prohibiting stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.

He said, “People are suffering more from stigma, discrimination and exclusion than even from the disease.”