Stakeholders in the joint effort between the United States and Nigeria in the fight against HIV/AIDS have met at a sustainability meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, to strengthen the partnership to end the spread of the virus as a public health threat by 2030.
The meeting brought together stakeholders from Nigeria and America to accelerate the fight against HIV/AIDS and to sustain achievements recorded in the campaign to end HIV/AIDS.
Contributing partners include agencies from the two countries and the outcome of the meeting will affirm both nation’s commitment to 95-95-95 goals, that means 95 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS know their status, 95 percent of people diagnosed are receiving treatment and 95 percent receiving treatment achieving viral suppression.
CDC Director, Dr. Mandy Cohen, commended Nigeria’s progress in the fight against the disease, emphasizing the country’s alignment with global targets.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, credited Nigeria’s progress in the HIV/AIDS campaign to political will, enhanced funding and the integration of the sector-wide approach.
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He said that initiatives like implementing zero Value Added Tax (VAT) charge on pharmaceuticals, primary healthcare strengthening and job creation via local pharmaceutical manufacturing were transformative in assisting the country achieve the successes recorded so far.
Pate urged the United States to sign a sub-compact agreement aligning with Nigeria’s sector-wide-agenda to ensure targeted outcomes with a defined timeline.
Areas to focus on include reducing mother-to-child transmission rates, integrating accurate data systems and sustaining funding priorities, centres that provide HIV/AIDS care and the drafting of a robust adolescent and youth HIV/AIDS strategy.
While Dr. John Nkengasong from the U.S. emphasized sustaining funding, institutionalizing the sector-wide-agenda approach, and improving value chains in the health sector, his counterpart from USAID, Dr. Atul Gawande, praised Nigeria’s efforts in linking HIV response with universal health coverage goals and strengthening primary health centres in the country.
They urged Nigeria to maintain the momentum, protect vulnerable population and continue removing barriers in supply chains and data infrastructure, address the pediatric treatment gap and develop a technical working group for a strategic action plan.
