Nigeria: Some Nigerians Turn to Faith Healers As HIV Aid Dries Up

What the report says

A Premium Times special report published through AllAfrica says some Nigerians living with HIV are turning to faith healers and herbal remedies after disruptions to free antiretroviral treatment linked to U.S. aid cuts. The report focuses on patients in northern Nigeria, including Maiduguri, Kano, Bauchi, Gombe and Sokoto, where clinics supported by PEPFAR were affected after President Donald Trump ordered a halt to funding in January 2025. Although some activities resumed later that month, the report says budget reductions and payment delays left treatment gaps and stock-outs.

One patient, identified only as Aisha, said she had previously depended on free ART to keep the virus suppressed but could no longer afford the medicines when they were no longer available at no cost. She later spent money on an unverified remedy promoted as Islamic medicine after being told it could cure HIV. The report says some traditional and religious healers are advertising untested products through community networks and social media, sometimes promising a permanent cure.

Medical specialists quoted in the report said antiretroviral therapy can suppress HIV but does not cure it. An infectious-disease doctor at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital warned that there is no scientifically proven cure through the medicines being sold by these practitioners. An Islamic scholar in Kano said using religious texts to market ineffective treatments amounts to deception and exploitation. The report underscores how funding disruptions can push vulnerable patients toward unsafe alternatives and place added financial pressure on those who must now pay for consultations and monitoring out of pocket.