Speaking in Lagos on Monday, NACA Director-General, Dr Gambo Aliyu, during a Regional Technical Meeting of West and Central Africa Champions aimed at cross-country learning on HIV prevention, stated that the meeting would focus on strengthening the data management systems for prevention to ensure an evidence-informed response.
He added that it was an opportunity for stakeholders to share experiences, knowledge, and strategies in the fight against the devastating pandemic.
Aliyu revealed that ‘UNAIDS Estimates 2022,’ mentioned that the HIV prevalence had declined from the peak of 5.8 per cent in 2001 to 1.4 per cent in 2022 among the adult population.
He said, “This meeting represents a significant step in our collective effort to combat HIV prevention in our region. NACA has the sole mandate of coordinating the HIV/AIDS response in Nigeria. Modest achievements have been accomplished in the coordination and ownership of the HIV/AIDS response at all levels. As a nation, we have moved rapidly on many frontiers.
“For instance, New HIV infection among the adult population declined by 39 per cent among adult females, 41 per cent among adult males and 10 per cent among children between 2019 and 2021 (UNAIDS Estimates 2022).”
“Nigeria, as one of the Global Prevention Coalition Countries, has continued to prioritise HIV prevention. Some of the most recent efforts include the completion of the national prevention self-assessment tool and the ongoing sub-national PSAT. We are currently focusing on strengthening the data management systems for prevention to ensure evidence-informed response. We also are working on a New Business Model that is geared toward a more efficient and sustainable response to HIV.”
Also speaking, Programme Director, SSLN, Kerry Mangold, said the South to South HIV Prevention Learning Network was an initiative of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition that aimed to support HIV prevention programme optimisation through the facilitation of shared country learning and networking.
She added that 15 countries had so far opted into Phase Two of the SSLN that began in March 2022, up from the 10 countries engaged in Phase One.
The SSLN member countries are organised into three sub-regional clusters, namely, East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, South Sudan); Southern Africa (South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Eswatini, Botswana), and Western and Central Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) and Côte d’Ivoire).
