By Stephanie M. Duncan
Monrovia- November 20, 2025: The Nationwide AIDS Fee (NAC) has raised severe concern over a gradual enhance in HIV instances throughout Liberia, revealing that the variety of folks residing with the virus has climbed from 34,000 in 2024 to 36,000 in 2025, with ladies bearing the best burden.
The alarming statistics have been disclosed by NAC Chairperson, Dr. Cecelia Nuta, throughout a press briefing forward of Liberia’s observance of World AIDS Day on December 1. Dr. Nuta said that ladies stay disproportionately affected, describing the state of affairs as a public well being problem that requires rapid and focused intervention.
“Girls by far represent essentially the most affected group in Liberia’s HIV burden,” Dr. Nuta said. “We urgently want elevated home assist and extra targeted applications if we’re to reverse this development and defend weak populations.”
In line with information from UNAIDS, HIV prevalence amongst adults aged 15 to 49 stands at 1.2 % for ladies, in comparison with 0.6 % for males. Based mostly on these figures, roughly 24,000 of the 36,000 Liberians residing with HIV are ladies, making them almost two-thirds of the affected inhabitants.
Well being specialists attribute the gender disparity to a mix of organic vulnerability and socio-economic challenges, together with poverty, restricted entry to healthcare, gender-based violence, and insufficient sexual and reproductive well being training, notably amongst younger women and girls.
Dr. Nuta additional warned that Liberia’s HIV response stays closely depending on worldwide donor funding, a state of affairs she described as unsustainable.
The NAC chairperson furthered known as for stronger authorities dedication, elevated home financing, and expanded community-based applications to reinforce prevention, testing, and therapy efforts.
“Liberia can’t proceed to rely largely on exterior funding,” she cautioned. “If we’re to fulfill world HIV targets and safeguard our residents, particularly ladies, we should take possession of our nationwide response.”
As a part of the upcoming World AIDS Day actions, the NAC plans to roll out intensified consciousness initiatives, together with cell testing, group dialogues, media campaigns, and youth-focused outreach applications aimed toward selling early testing and lowering stigma.
The Fee expressed hope that the most recent information will function a nationwide wake-up name, encouraging policymakers, civil society, and communities to strengthen the battle in opposition to HIV/AIDS by sustained, gender-sensitive methods.
With ladies accounting for almost two-thirds of these contaminated, stakeholders warn that failure to handle the rising imbalance might undermine Liberia’s broader public well being and growth objectives. The NAC has subsequently known as for renewed unity, elevated funding, and decisive motion to curb the unfold of HIV and defend essentially the most weak populations.
