FG Offers HIV Patients Free Liver, Kidney Tests

The Federal Government has announced the commencement of free annual liver and kidney function tests for People Living with HIV/AIDS, made possible through expanded health insurance coverage across the country.

The initiative was disclosed on Monday by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, during the 2025 World AIDS Day commemoration in Abuja, organised by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and its partners.

Dr Salako explained that the new testing support is part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s HIV response and ensure that all affected individuals have access to essential, life-saving medical services.

He noted that integrating HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, nutrition, and the National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme into a unified service delivery model would enable children and adolescents to access multiple health services during a single visit.

The minister added that the recent National Council on Health meeting approved the reduction of the consent age for voluntary HIV screening from 18 to 14 years, a move aimed at increasing early diagnosis, improving access to treatment, and reducing transmission rates.

“We are beginning to provide people living with HIV/AIDS with access to annual liver and kidney function tests through expanded health insurance coverage,” he said.

“This integrated approach will ensure that children and adolescents can access multiple essential services during a single visit, thereby improving health outcomes,” he added.

Dr Salako urged state governments, partners, civil society, communities, and the private sector to deepen collaboration, embrace innovation, and intensify efforts toward achieving the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat, even as NACA and other stakeholders reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong progress toward global HIV targets.