Côte d’Ivoire launches national self-testing campaign to combat HIV

The National AIDS Control Program (PNLS) in Côte d’Ivoire launched a national campaign to promote HIV self-testing from November 10 to December 31.

Coordinator Pr Ehui Eboi announced the initiative in Abidjan to help the country reach its goal of eliminating AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The campaign aims to address a gap in the country's "three times 95" targets.

At the end of 2025, the PNLS reported that only 85% of people living with HIV had been tested, falling short of the 95% goal. Other indicators, such as the percentage of diagnosed people on antiretroviral treatment and the percentage of treated patients with suppressed viral loads, both stood at 93%. The program estimates that approximately 414,000 people in Côte d’Ivoire were living with HIV by the end of 2025.

To increase testing rates, the PNLS plans to expand the distribution of self-tests to private pharmacies. The program currently distributes about 300,000 self-tests annually through health facilities and intends to increase this to 600,000 tests per year by 2030. Authorities are negotiating with pharmacists and regulators to ensure the tests remain affordable. Pr Ehui Eboi noted that two types of tests are available: an oral test and a finger-prick test that provides results in 15 minutes.

He advised that individuals must still visit a health facility to confirm any reactive or indeterminate results.