2024 review of the fight against HIV/TB : Notable progress, urgent challenges

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Extract from the article: On 11 July 2025 in Lomé, the National Council for the Fight against AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (CNLS-IST) organised the annual review of activities in the fight against HIV and tuberculosis for the year 2024. The aim of the meeting was

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On 11 July 2025 in Lomé, the National Council for the Fight against AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (CNLS-IST) organised the annual review of activities in the fight against HIV and tuberculosis for the year 2024. The aim of the meeting was to present the results of the second year of implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2023-2026. The opening ceremony was chaired by Dr Kokou Wotobé, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, in the presence of Pr Vincent Pitché, National Coordinator of the SP/CNLS-IST, and Dr Yayé Kanny Diallo, UNAIDS Country Director for Togo.

The review provided an opportunity to assess the main services offered to target populations, the results achieved, the level of achievement of the 95-95-95 indicators in Togo in 2024, and to make recommendations for improving future performance in the fight against HIV and tuberculosis. "Producing progress reports and holding this annual review is an essential step in measuring the effectiveness of our interventions in relation to the objectives set out in our strategic plans. These results are the fruit of joint action. It is therefore essential to share them with all stakeholders, in order to validate progress and identify together the levers for improvement", said Pr Vincent Pitché, National Coordinator of the SP/CNLS-IST.

For Dr Kokou Wotobé, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, in a global context marked by declining financial resources and national economic constraints, it is imperative to rethink approaches. "Together, we need to devise and implement innovative and appropriate strategies to guarantee universal access to healthcare, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. It is by collectively tackling the challenges that we will be able to sustain the gains we have made and make progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular MDG 3, which aims to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health problem by 2030", he emphasised.

Between solid achievements and persistent challenges

Togo's national response to HIV has made significant progress in recent years. Programmatically, prevention services have gradually reached all target populations, including key populations, young people, women, men in uniform, truck drivers and the general population.

"By 2024, more than 594,000 people had been screened and more than 16 million condoms distributed, demonstrating a strong commitment. As far as treatment is concerned, more than 93,000 people living with HIV (PLHIV) know their status and are on antiretroviral treatment, with a coverage rate of 92% for the first two years of 95. The provision of viral load testing services has also been extended nationwide, with an estimated viral suppression rate of 85% by 2024", explained Pr Pitché. Despite these achievements, a number of structural weaknesses remain, requiring an urgent, coordinated response.

In terms of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), results are still below target. The coverage rate for HIV-positive pregnant women is 87%, while the rate of HIV transmission to children is still 13% at 18 months, well above the target threshold of 5%. The triple elimination (HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B) remains a major challenge that the new plan being drawn up by the National HIV/AIDS Programme (PNLS) will have to tackle effectively.

As far as paediatric treatment is concerned, there is still a worrying gap : only 69% of HIV-positive children have access to treatment, compared with 93% of adults. A collective effort is needed to close this gap and guarantee equal access to care. Finally, the persistent dependence on international funding represents a strategic vulnerability. This support has enabled significant progress to be made, but the recent drop in funding since the start of 2025 threatens the sustainability of the national response.

Togo remains committed to ending the HIV epidemic by 2030. This annual review is a reminder of the extent to which coherent efforts, stakeholder involvement and strong national leadership are essential.

Raymond DZAKPATA