The Global Fund’s Grant Cycle 7 has allocated $933m to Nigeria to help with the eradication of HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria from 2024 to 2026. In a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations and Protocol, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Toyin Aderibigbe, out of the fund, $340,095,438 is dedicated to the HIV grant, while the agency will be receiving $10,663,394 to lead the coordination of the multi-sectoral response to HIV. It was indicated that to kick off the GC7 grant, a four-day retreat was held for the newly formed Project Monitoring Unit.
The retreat was designed to familiarize the new team members with their roles, reflect on past successes, identify areas for improvement, and discuss actionable strategies for future endeavours. In her welcome remark, the Director General of NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori highlighted the significant accomplishments of the GC6 grant.
She said these accomplishments include training healthcare personnel, equipping laboratories, and meaningfully engaging communities.
The NACA DG urged participants to build on these successes in tackling HIV challenges. She said, “While we celebrate these remarkable achievements, we must task ourselves to improve upon our past efforts by being efficient and intentional in sustainably addressing the public health challenges of HIV through the use of reliable data for effective decision-making.” According to NACA, the notable activities under the GC7 include the scale-up of HIV and TB Gender and Human Rights interventions both at the national and sub-national levels; the development of 36+1 states’ strategic plans leveraging the HIV National Strategic Plan 2023-2027; the implementation of medically assisted treatment among persons who inject drugs using methadone or buprenorphine; the improvement of HIV coordination at the sub-national levels through direct support to State Agencies for the Control of AIDS; and the conduct of HIV Integrated Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Survey 2024.
Ilori said, “My vision for the HIV response under my leadership is to foster a domestically driven HIV response that ends AIDS and its associated conditions as a public health threat in an effective, efficient, and sustainable manner.” She urged everyone to join the journey toward this shared goal of greatness. “I urge you to reflect on how our work can ensure that we eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV in collaboration with the National HIV, Hepatitis, and STI Control Program. “Contribute meaningfully to the sector-wide approach of the Ministry of Health, further strengthen the health response to become more resilient and sustainable, ensure that we can respond to any public health emergency, and end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030,” the NACA boss said.
