By Maina Maina
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) has reviewed its efforts to help Nigeria end HIV as a public health threat by 2030 and introduced its plans for an integrated health services delivery initiative.
This was done during its 3rd Biannual Programme Performance Review and Stakeholder Engagement Meeting from October 17 to 19.
According to a statement on Thursday, the three-day meeting provided national and state partners and stakeholders from the 19 US CDC-supported states a platform to discuss achievements and challenges in HIV programming in the last year and plan for state-led HIV responses, coordination, and sustainability efforts.
The statement added that the integrated health services platform will serve to enhance these efforts and improve the overall quality of and access to comprehensive healthcare in Nigeria.
According to the statement, throughout the meeting, US CDC Country Deputy Director Suzanne Theroux commended national and state officials, implementing and development partners, and other stakeholders for their efforts to close testing and treatment gaps and help Nigeria get closer to achieving the 95-95-95 targets. She emphasised the US CDC’s commitment to using science and data to guide the design and implementation of sustainable, comprehensive, state-led health programming.
US Chargé d’Affaires David Greene said the introduction and implementation of an integrated health service delivery platform is a novel idea with huge potential in Nigeria. Building connections across diseases, responses, and routine health activities like immunisation can only serve to strengthen the healthcare and public health systems in Nigeria and ensure an efficient use of available resources.
Dr Chukwuma Anyaike, the Director of Public Health, who represented the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, recognised the importance and effectiveness of partnership in the HIV response. He highlighted the continued need to close identified testing and treatment gaps and emphasised the need to use data and innovative technology to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The meeting was part of US CDC’s commitment to regularly review and adapt programming to meet the needs of the HIV response in Nigeria. The next biannual programme performance review and stakeholder engagement meeting is scheduled for April 2024.
