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Sustainability Agenda in Action: Advancing Nigeria’s HIV Response
Sustainability Agenda: Urgent Call to Action in Nigeria’s HIV Response
Dr. Gambo Aliyu, the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, has urged stakeholders involved in Nigeria’s HIV and AIDS national response to gear up and ensure the success of the sustainability agenda as the country approaches epidemic control of the disease.
Aliyu made these remarks during a meeting with development partners and other stakeholders committed to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. The stakeholders have been actively involved in initiating a sustainability process to ensure that Nigeria takes full ownership and control of the HIV and AIDS national response once foreign funds are no longer available.
Nigeria’s HIV Response: Advancing the Sustainability Agenda
Over the past two years, stakeholders have been meeting to ensure the effective implementation of the sustainability agenda and the development of a new business model. According to a press statement by NACA, the agenda aims for an HIV response that is owned, driven, resourced, and led by the Nigerian people and government at various levels, with support from partners, aligning with the Paris Declaration 2005.
Aliyu stressed the urgent need to establish sustainable structures that support health services across federal and state institutions as crucial for sustaining the HIV response in Nigeria. He called on stakeholders to expedite the process to meet Nigeria’s targets to end AIDS as a public health concern.
Sustainability Agenda Sparks Vital HIV Response Talks
He commended the efforts of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, and other stakeholders for their significant contributions to Nigeria’s HIV national response.
The meeting initiated critical discussions on how the HIV program could be sustained and integrated into routine health services as the disease transitions from epidemic to endemic. Aliyu disclosed that prior to the meeting, engagements were made at the political level involving the Federal Ministry of Health and its counterparts at the state level.
Advancing Integration: Navigating Nigeria’s Sustainability Agenda
Future meetings will delve deeper into identifying the best structures and strategies to integrate HIV treatment services into routine health services. Dr. Yewande Olaifa, a Deputy Director at NACA, outlined the processes and timeline of the agenda, emphasizing two major phases involving empowerment and transition of responsibilities to federal and private/community structures, followed by engagement with at least 25 states, and concluding with continuous evaluation and support.
Aliyu emphasized the importance of agreeing on modalities before the project officially launches, including training for those involved in project implementation regarding fiscal management and accountability to the National Coordination.