The Nigerian government, through the National Council on Health (NCH), has approved lowering the age of consent for voluntary HIV testing from 18 to 14 years. The decision was reached at the 66th NCH meeting in Calabar, following extensive deliberation focused on balancing public health needs with legal and cultural sensitivities.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, who chaired the council, emphasized that the revision was crucial due to the scale of the epidemic among adolescents.
Minister Pate stressed that vulnerable groups, particularly orphans without parents to provide consent, must not be excluded from life-saving care. He made reference to statistics from 2014, stressing that Nigeria had an estimated 380,000 children living with HIV and approximately 1.7 million AIDS orphans.
He also pointed out to international models, adopted by South Africa, where adolescents from age 12 can access HIV testing independently, which had led to improved early detection.
Health commissioners supported the change, due to the high HIV risk among young people and the need to act amid declining donor funding. Other members raised concerns about parental involvement and the need to align the policy with the existing Child Rights Act and other national laws.
After reaching a consensus, the council approved the age reduction to 14, but with strict measures built into the new policy;
- Mandatory Counselling: Ensuring age-appropriate guidance is provided before testing.
- Confidentiality: Strict adherence to patient privacy.
- Linkage to Care: Guaranteeing that those who test positive are immediately connected to treatment.
The NCH states that the Ministry of Health must work with the Attorney General to ensure the new policy achieves full legal compliance, thereby protecting both health workers and minors.
This policy aims to improve early detection and treatment rates among Nigeria’s youth, particularly the marginalized.
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