The National Coordinator of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, emphasized that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention lacks the necessary expertise, resources, and capacity to effectively combat, manage, and respond to the complex and multifaceted HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country.

He made this statement at the 2024 Nigeria HIV Prevention Conference in Abuja, hosted by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, a gathering themed,  ‘Accelerating HIV prevention to end AIDS through innovations and community engagement,’

Wakadaily discovered that, The declaration comes despite the recent move to consolidate NACA with the NCDC under the Federal Ministry of Health, a decision aimed at streamlining operations, reducing expenditures, and enhancing efficiency across the health sector.

However, Ibrahim’s remarks underscore the need for a dedicated and specialized entity, with the requisite expertise and resources, to tackle the intricate challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and to ensure a comprehensive and effective response to the disease.

“We are in a situation where we need to work together and also remind our government and partners on what to do and believe me, if we work together, we will achieve our goal.

“I’m glad that we have a new DG of NACA. When we heard the initial announcement, Leo (UNAIDS Country Director) will bear witness, we were worried that NACA will be collapsed, because there it was to be merged with the NCDC.

“I don’t know if NCDC is here but I can tell you that they don’t have the capacity to manage the AIDS epidemic in Nigeria because we have not seen their visibility in our AIDS response.

“So, collapsing NACA to be part of them is going to be a setback. For us as a community, we have our reasons. However, weeks after, we heard the announcement that we have a new DG, and we are happy in our community.”

He urged the NACA Director General to step up efforts in three key areas: preventing HIV transmission, securing necessary resources, and promoting condom use and education for both men and women, through targeted messaging and programming.

“Our prevention rate is at nine per cent, and we are expected to be at 25 per cent, and that shows that we are doing poorly as a country. We need to tell ourselves the truth, we want to control the disease in our country.

For me, we have an opportunity, you will be operating with the ministry, so let the National AIDS and STDs Control Programme focus on the treatment aspect. Let’s focus on prevention. Innovations are out there, and I know that if we focus on these, the roles of NACA will be more pronounced under your activity,” he advised.

Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, reaffirmed President Tinubu’s pledge to combat HIV and emphasized that universal access to healthcare is crucial, regardless of one’s HIV status. This, he believes, is essential for alleviating poverty and bolstering the nation’s health.

Through his representative, Dr. David Atuwo, the Minister outlined the health renewal project’s objective: to foster a healthier society and alleviate suffering for all citizens.

“I call on all to join hands with us as we make this vision a reality for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

The minister expressed his gratitude to donors for their consistent and dedicated support, which has been instrumental in helping Nigeria progress towards achieving the ambitious 95-95-95 goal by 2030.