HIV: Togo’s strategy to reduce new infections at the source

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Extract from the article: Aujourd’hui, dans la guerre engagée par les autorités contre le VIH, une autre bataille retient l’attention. Si les traitements permettent de vivre avec le VIH, la meilleure victoire reste encore d’éviter les nouvelles contaminations. C’est dans cett

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Today, in the fight waged by the authorities against HIV, another battle is attracting attention. While treatment makes it possible to live with HIV, the greatest victory remains preventing new infections. It is with this in mind that prevention is playing an increasingly important role in the national strategy.

Indeed, the urgency of the fight against HIV in Togo is no longer limited to identifying people living with the virus and ensuring their access to treatment. This challenge has gradually been addressed through improved patient care and expanded treatment coverage across the country. Recent figures show that Togo now has a prevention system capable of operating on a large scale while seeking to reach the populations most exposed to the virus.

Raising awareness on a massive scale to act upstream

The fact is that the more people are informed and aware, the more able they are to adopt behaviours that reduce the risk of infection. In 2025, awareness campaigns reached more than 2.3 million people across the country. Among them were 1,335,188 young people aged 15 to 24, nearly 492,000 women aged 15 to 49, and more than 458,000 people from the general population.

Prevention is now being implemented on a large scale, with one priority target: young people. This choice reflects a clear understanding of the epidemic. It is often during adolescence and early adulthood that behaviours are formed which have a lasting influence on the risk of exposure. Awareness-raising efforts are therefore firmly established.

HIV testing gradually becoming part of everyday habits

Testing remains one of the most effective ways to curb the spread of HIV. In 2025, 650,142 people were tested across the country, compared with 594,332 the previous year. This increase confirms that HIV testing is becoming more accessible and socially accepted.

Among those tested in 2025, 10,174 positive cases were identified, representing a positivity rate of 1.56%. Beyond the statistics, these results mainly mean that thousands of people were able to be quickly referred to care and receive appropriate support.

The challenge, however, remains significant. Too many infections are still detected at a late stage, limiting the effectiveness of treatment and increasing the risk of transmission. Hence the need to make HIV testing a simple, regular and stigma-free habit.

Condoms

Condoms remain a key component of the prevention strategy. In 2025, more than 20.2 million condoms were distributed across the country. More than 13 million were allocated to the general population, about 2.7 million to young people, with the remainder going to key populations at higher risk. This represents an increase from the 16 million condoms distributed in 2024 through the health system’s networks.

Mother-to-child transmission is declining, reflecting strengthened care. This indicator reflects both the quality of the health system and the effectiveness of prevention mechanisms.

In 2025, 275,983 pregnant women were tested for HIV. Among those living with HIV, 3,731 were placed on antiretroviral treatment.

The results are evident. Treatment coverage increased from 86.51% in 2024 to 90.65% in 2025. At the same time, the mother-to-child transmission rate fell from 13.44% to 11.35%.

Prevention becoming more modern and closer to communities

The priorities set out in the National Strategic Plan 2027–2030 confirm a significant evolution in the country’s HIV response strategy. Prevention is no longer based solely on traditional awareness campaigns. It is increasingly adapting to the habits and needs of different populations, particularly young people.

Social media, digital platforms, guided self-testing tools and interactive counselling mechanisms are expected to play a greater role. The objective is to make information more accessible, faster to obtain and better suited to new forms of communication.

At the same time, funding remains a central issue. Investing in prevention not only saves lives, but also helps reduce future costs associated with treatment and complications. Overall, the results achieved demonstrate a strong response system that continues to improve.

Source: ATOP