Lydia Efobi has been nominated as a touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES 2025 Future Leader in recognition of her outstanding contributions to HIV research and advocacy. A final-year pharmacy student from Nigeria, her work explores the critical link between mental health and access to HIV prevention services for key populations.
With multiple conference presentations, including IAS 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda, and ongoing publication invitations, Lydia is shaping a new vision for person-centred HIV care. In this Q&A, she shares her inspirations, the role of mentorship, and her commitment to advancing equitable innovation in infectious disease care, where healing addresses both the virus and the individual.
I often say that, in the fight against HIV, we have mastered treating the virus, but we have not yet mastered healing the person. My current research seeks to bridge that gap by exploring the intersection of mental health and access to HIV prevention services for key populations.
This work is both urgent and deeply personal. HIV is not just a biological condition; it is a lived experience, shaped by stigma, trauma and psychological strain. If we only treat the body, we leave wounds that no pill can heal. But when we integrate psychosocial support into care, we empower people to not just survive, but to thrive.
My vision is for mental health to be a core pillar of HIV care—embedded in protocols, funded like essential medicines and delivered with the same urgency as viral suppression. Because true victory over HIV will not come from treatment alone, but when people feel whole again.
I didn’t choose infectious diseases, it chose me. Pharmacy school taught me to question everything: the what, the why, the how. But my clinical rotations revealed the profound complexity and humanity of infectious diseases. These are never just medical problems, they are social, cultural and deeply human challenges.
My inspiration is also rooted in loss. I watched someone I loved slip away from an illness that could have been prevented with better care, better awareness and better systems. That loss became a lifelong promise: I will stand in the gap for others, armed with science, compassion and relentless determination.
Infectious diseases became my platform, but my mission is to weave mental health into the very fabric of our response to pandemics. I want to live in a world where a diagnosis does not end dreams, and where no one suffers in silence simply because care missed the human side of healing.
I measure reward not only in milestones, but in impact. In under a year, my research has been accepted at two local and three international conferences, invited for publication in respected journals, and I had the privilege of delivering an oral presentation at the recent IAS 2025 Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, all on my first attempt.
But the most rewarding moment was realizing that my work has entered the global HIV conversation, and that my perspective is influencing how others think about care. This is now a call to service, and every platform I step onto is a chance to shift the narrative. I intend to keep doing so until HIV care reflects the dignity and wholeness that every human being deserves.
Yes, and meeting him changed the trajectory of my career. Dr AbdulMuminu Isah, Principal Investigator of the Person-centred HIV Research Team (PeCHIVReT), has been more than a mentor; he has been a mirror, a compass and a catalyst.
From a distance, I admired his brilliance. Up close, I discovered his gift for helping people see potential they didn’t know they had. Under his guidance, I have learnt not just technical skills, like conceptualization, data analysis and impactful presentation, but also the mindset of a leader: to never shrink my vision to fit the limits of my current circumstances.
His mentorship has shown me that leadership is not about holding a position, it’s about multiplying impact. And that is the legacy I want to build.
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in infectious disease care is nothing short of revolutionary. Imagine a world where an algorithm can predict outbreaks before they happen, tailor prevention strategies to individual needs or shorten diagnosis time from days to minutes. That world is within reach.
But if innovation outpaces equity, the communities that need it most will be left behind. That’s why I believe the future is not just about creating technology, but about democratizing it. We need collaborations that break down barriers, funding that reaches the frontlines and young leaders who claim their seat at the table.
AI, in the right hands, could be the tool that finally closes the gap between what is possible and what is real. Innovation without access is an illusion, and my work is to help turn it into equity.
About Lydia Efobi
Lydia Efobi is a final-year Doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D) student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, passionate about the intersection of psychosocial health, stigma reduction, and public health. As an intern with the Person-Centered HIV Research Team (PeCHIVReT), she contributes to research addressing the psychological impact of stigma on vulnerable populations affected by HIV. A YALI alumna, mental health advocate, and award-winning book reviewer recognized by over 20 authors worldwide, Lydia combines empathy, research, and storytelling to drive impact. Her work champions the integration of mental health into disease-focused care, especially for stigmatized groups, while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals on health and reduced inequalities. She welcomes opportunities for collaboration in research, youth-led initiatives, and global conversations that center healing, not just in the body but in the mind.
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Further content in HIV
Editor: Katey Gabrysch, Editorial Director.
Disclosures: This short article was prepared by touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES in collaboration with Lydia Efobi. This content has been developed independently by Touch Medical Media for touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES. Views expressed are the speaker’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Touch Medical Media.
Cite: Lydia Efobi. Lydia Efobi’s vision for person-centred HIV care: touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES Future Leader 2025. 18 August 2025.
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