APYIN YOBE

07/02/2026

UNAIDS AND PARTNERS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN CHILDREN'S LIVES BY WORKING WITH COUNTRIES TO ENSURE ALL BABIES ARE BORN AND REMAIN HIV-FREE.

The goal of ending new HIV infections in children is one of the most achievable and impactful targets in global health.

The Core Strategy:
Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT)

The approach is based on a clear, evidence-based path:

1. Prevent HIV in women of reproductive age.
2. Prevent unintended pregnancies among women living with HIV.
3. Prevent transmission from a woman living with HIV to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.
4. Provide appropriate treatment, care, and support to mothers living with HIV and their children and families.

How UNAIDS and Partners Are Making a Difference:

· Supporting National Programs: They work directly with governments to strengthen health systems, integrate PMTCT into maternal and child health services, and ensure the availability of essential medicines and diagnostics.

· Promoting "Treat All": Ensuring all pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV receive immediate and lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART). This suppresses the virus to undetectable levels, which is key to preventing transmission and keeping the mother healthy.

· Early Infant Diagnosis: Scaling up testing for HIV-exposed infants within the first weeks of life, so those who are infected can start treatment immediately.

· Addressing Inequalities: Focusing on reaching the most vulnerable populations and eliminating barriers like stigma, discrimination, and gender-based violence that prevent women from accessing services.

· Data and Accountability: Tracking progress, identifying gaps, and holding all stakeholders accountable for results.

The Progress & The Remaining Challenge:

· The Good News: There has been tremendous success. New HIV infections in children have declined by over 58% since 2010. Many countries have been validated for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (e.g., Thailand, Cuba, Malaysia, Sri Lanka).

· The Ongoing Challenge: Despite the progress, tens of thousands of children are still infected annually, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. The work is not finished until that number is zero.

Key Partners in this Effort:

· The Global Plan: Originally led by UNAIDS and PEPFAR (U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief).

· PEPFAR: A major funder and implementer of PMTCT programs worldwide.

· The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Provides significant financing to countries.

· WHO: Provides normative guidance and technical support.

· UNICEF: Focuses on the child health and protection aspects.

· Civil Society and Communities of Women Living with HIV: Essential for delivering services, advocating for rights, and ensuring programs meet community needs.

In essence, this post highlights a mission that is both a moral imperative and a public health victory in the making. It's about protecting the most vulnerable, ensuring healthy starts to life, and ultimately breaking the cycle of the HIV epidemic for future generations.

Executive Director
Yobe State Agency for Control of AIDS

01/01/2026

🎉 HAPPY NEW YEAR – 2026 FROM APYIN YOBE STATE CHAPTER🎉

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

APYIN – Yobe State Chapter extends its warm New Year greetings to all members, partners, and the entire people of Yobe State on the arrival of the 2026 New Year.

We thank Almighty Allah (SWT) for sparing our lives to witness this new year. This is a time to renew our hope, strengthen our determination, and recommit ourselves to progress, especially in increasing awareness about HIV/AIDS, reducing stigma and discrimination, and protecting the rights of young people living with HIV.

In this new year, APYIN Yobe State Chapter looks forward to:

Stronger unity and understanding among members

Continued community awareness on HIV/AIDS

Amplifying the voice and dignity of young people living with HIV

Good health, peace, and success for everyone

We pray that Allah makes 2026 a year filled with blessings, growth, and achievements, and that all our goals are successfully accomplished.

✨ Happy New Year! ✨
May Allah bless APYIN, bless Yobe State, and bless
Nigeria as a whole.

APYIN – Yobe State Chapter
“Together in Hope, Strength and Positivity”

25/12/2025

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM APYIN YOBE STATE

APYIN Yobe State extends warm Christmas greetings to all Christian brothers and sisters across Yobe State and the nation at large.

We use this opportunity to wish you peace, love, mutual understanding, and unity within our communities. Christmas is a time for reflection, forgiveness, and strengthening relationships, and we hope this season will further promote interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence in Yobe State

APYIN firmly believes that peace and unity are the foundation of development. We therefore call on everyone to continue respecting one another and to work together toward building a society founded on understanding and lasting peace.

We pray that Almighty God accepts your prayers, blesses this Christmas season, and brings peace, stability, and sustainable development to Yobe State and Nigeria as a whole.

Merry Christmas to you all.

16/12/2025

15/12/2025

Day 3 Training of Peer Mentors and Caregivers at Brist Point Hotel

TRAINING OF PEER MENTORS AND CAREGIVERS: A CRITICAL STEP TOWARDS REDUCING THE SPREAD OF HIV

APYIN Yobe, in collaboration with AHNI and RAWYOD, has successfully concluded Day 3 of the Peer Mentors and Caregivers training focused on strategies to support people living with HIV and children to achieve Zero Viral Load Suppression.

The training emphasized the importance of treatment adherence, community-level care and support, and addressing challenges that hinder the achievement of viral load suppression.

We extend our special appreciation to AHNI and RAWYOD for their support and strong partnership. We also sincerely thank all Peer Mentors, Caregivers, and other participants for their commitment, time, and active participation throughout the training.

With this collective effort, we are confident in achieving Zero Viral Load Suppression and reducing the spread of HIV in Yobe State.

14/12/2025

14/12/2025

Day 2: Peer Mentors and Caregivers Training

Organized by AHNI in collaboration with RAWYOD and APYIN Yobe

(Recap of Day 1)

Participants reviewed key lessons from Day 1, led by participants, to refresh knowledge and set the tone for Day 2.

Session 6: Effective Communication Skills

This session focused on strengthening effective communication skills among peer mentors and caregivers, emphasizing active listening, empathy, reassurance, and respectful engagement when supporting ALHIV.

Session 7: Basic Counselling for ALHIV

Participants were introduced to basic counselling concepts and supportive approaches to enable peer mentors and caregivers provide appropriate guidance and emotional support to ALHIV.

Session 8: Confidentiality and Consent

This session highlighted ethical considerations in caregiving, stressing the importance of confidentiality, informed consent, and maintaining professional boundaries while supporting ALHIV.

Session 9: Disclosure Support

The session discussed types and timing of disclosure, as well as the roles of peer mentors and caregivers in supporting ALHIV through safe and informed disclosure processes.

Session 10: Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Support

Participants gained knowledge on identifying stress, depression, and emotional challenges among ALHIV, including appropriate referral pathways to mental health and psychosocial support services.

Session 11: Case Study Scenario Practice

Through group work and counselling role-play exercises, participants applied the knowledge and skills gained to real-life scenarios relevant to peer mentoring and caregiving.

Day 2 Review
The day concluded with a plenary session where participants reviewed key takeaways from Day 2 and shared feedback on the training.

13/12/2025

Peer Mentors, Caregivers & Community Facilitators Training on Reducing Stigma and Creating an Enabling Environment for Adolescents Living with HIV
(LAFIYAN MATASA Project – Day 1 Update)

Today, we successfully concluded Day One of the Peer Mentors, Caregivers and Community Facilitators Training focused on reducing stigma and creating an enabling environment for adolescents living with HIV.

The three-day training is taking place from 13th–15th December 2025 at Bricks Point Hotel, Damaturu, and is being implemented under the partnership of AHNi (Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative), RAWYOD, and APYIN Yobe through the LAFIYAN MATASA Project. The project aims to improve the health, psychosocial well-being, and overall quality of life of adolescents and young people.

During Day One, participants were taken through key foundational sessions, including:

Understanding adolescence and the context of adolescents living with HIV

HIV basics, treatment literacy, viral suppression, and addressing myths and misconceptions

Psychosocial needs of adolescents living with HIV

Stigma and discrimination: types, drivers, and effects within communities

Self-reflection on personal biases and attitudes

Roles and responsibilities of peer mentors, caregivers, and community facilitators

The sessions were highly interactive, featuring group discussions, role plays, and experience sharing, which strengthened participants’ capacity to serve as agents of positive change within their communities.

We sincerely appreciate the continued collaboration and support of AHNi and RAWYOD, and commend all peer mentors, caregivers, and community facilitators for their dedication to promoting dignity, inclusion, and stigma-free support for adolescents.

The training continues over the next two days as we work collectively toward achieving the objectives of the LAFIYAN MATASA Project.

Follow APYIN for more updates and highlights.

10/12/2025

Youth leadership took centre stage in Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪 as partners came together to influence the next Global Fund grant cycle. Discussions focused on putting young people at the heart of decision-making, designing practical tools for service integration, and building a shared roadmap for evidence and advocacy in 2026.

Read the full story here 🔗 https://www.yplusglobal.org/news-GlobalFund-Y2Y-CESI-Partner-Meeting-PressRelease

09/12/2025

When someone is infected with HIV, the body responds by producing antibodies (and in the very early stages, antigens). These markers are what HIV tests look for.

If you test negative after the window period — the time it takes for the body to produce enough antibodies or antigens to be detected — and you’ve had no further exposures, then your result is reliable.
That means you are HIV NEGATIVE.

HIV tests are highly accurate when taken after the window period.
Trust the science, and always test again if there’s a new risk.

05/12/2025

ICASA 2025 – GOOD NEWS FROM ACCRA!

My heart is full of joy today, and I cannot keep this to myself. One of my biggest takeaways from the ICASA 2025 Conference is a major announcement from the Global Fund that will truly transform the HIV response across Africa.

We were assured that injectable HIV treatment, which will replace the stress of taking daily oral ARVs, is on the way. This innovation will improve adherence, reduce stigma, protect privacy, and make life far easier for so many people.

And here is the sweetest part, the injectable is taken once every six months, meaning just twice a year! No more waking up daily to swallow pills. No more struggling with disclosure because someone saw your medication. This is a game changer!

Even more beautiful is that this is not a far-off dream. According to the Global Fund, the rollout is expected to begin within the next six months, and…

Nigeria is among the first countries selected to benefit from this breakthrough!

Hearing this news alone lifted my spirit, especially with the health challenges I’ve been facing lately. It reminded me that better days are ahead. The future of HIV treatment is becoming brighter, simpler, and more achievable for all of us.

Since many of you could not attend the conference, I want to carry you along with the key highlights. This development is a big win for all of us, PLHIV, advocates, health workers, caregivers, policymakers, and every voice fighting for dignity, better access, and zero discrimination.

Innovation is here. Hope is alive. The future is promising. ICASA 2025 is truly a blessing!