PEPFAR funding cuts drive northern Nigeria HIV patients to dangerous 'cure' scams
When Trump halted PEPFAR funding in January 2025, free HIV treatment disappeared from clinics like the one Aisha* relied on in Maiduguri. Though partially restored in February 2025 with budget cuts, many northern Nigerians now struggle to afford antiretroviral therapy. Desperate patients are turning to traditional healers selling herbal concoctions for ₦45,000 ($33) to ₦250,000 ($183), falsely marketed as permanent HIV cures using distorted Hadith interpretations. Medical experts confirm ART only suppresses HIV—it doesn't cure it—and stopping treatment allows the virus to multiply. Aisha* sold her furniture for one healer's remedy but saw her health worsen after two months, now facing out-of-pocket costs for tests and consultations she once got free. With over 1,714 HIV service sites globally closed after funding disruptions, this dangerous trend risks reversing Nigeria's HIV progress in a country bearing the world's fourth-largest burden. Will you risk your life on unproven 'cures' or insist on scientifically proven treatment despite financial strain?