IBADAN, Nigeria — For around $5 on Konga.com, one of Nigeria’s major e-commerce platforms, Nigerians can buy an oral HIV self-test kit. After ordering the product, Devex found that the kit was easy to use, but the package contained no information about where to get treatment, counseling, confirmation, or any other post-testing services following a positive result.
Starting in January 2021, Nigeria will centralize and harmonize its HIV/AIDS program, and a key component of this approach is to prioritize self-testing.
This is more cost-effective than community testing. But rights groups representing gay men — one of the communities worst affected by HIV in Nigeria — fear it could erode the fragile gains made in HIV control among the group. Self-testing does not ensure that follow-up services and treatments are offered, and discriminatory laws and attitudes mean that gay men face particular challenges in accessing these services.
About the author
Paul Adepojupauladepoju
Paul Adepoju is a Nigeria-based Devex Contributing Reporter, academic, and author. He covers health and tech in Africa for leading local and international media outlets including CNN, Quartz, and The Guardian. He's also the founder of healthnews.africa. He is completing a doctorate in cell biology and genetics and holds several reporting awards in health and tech.
