Aproko Doctor's HIV claims about Nigeria were inaccurate

A popular doctor and social media influencer, known as Aproko Doctor, made claims about Nigeria's HIV statistics to highlight the potential impact of cuts to U.S. aid. He argues that these funding cuts could significantly harm Nigeria’s efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. According to UNAids, in 2023, there were 39.9 million people living with HIV globally. Nigeria had around 2 million cases, making it the country with the fourth-highest number of cases in the world. South Africa, India, and Mozambique ranked higher with more cases. Mary Mahy, the UNAids director for Data for Impact, noted that their data is reliable and comparable across countries. Some followers of Aproko Doctor mentioned that while he misrepresented the statistics, they agree that funding cuts could jeopardize Nigeria’s HIV programs. Experts support this view. Tanimola Akande, a public health professor, emphasized that Nigeria has relied too much on donor funding and needs to increase domestic financing for healthcare. The World Health Organization has identified Nigeria as one of eight countries at risk of running out of HIV medications. Additionally, the U.S. is planning to exit the WHO, raising further concerns. In response, Nigeria's National Agency for the Control of AIDS (Naca) stated it will begin producing its own HIV drugs and test kits later this year.