As Nigeria moves closer to achieving HIV epidemic control, the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) met with commissioners of health from the 18 CDC-supported states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to share HIV programme progress and plan for the future.
During the first consultative meeting of its type, state, agencies and implementing partners’ leaderships discussed ways to sustain and build upon the recent successes of the HIV programme to achieve epidemic control.
In his opening remarks, the US CDC country director, Dr. Mary Boyd commended the commissioners for their initiative during the antiretroviral therapy surge (ATS) efforts in their states, noting that the programme has exceeded expectations.
She emphasised the need for strong state leadership of HIV programmes going forward and expressed US CDC’s commitment to listen to, understand, and join states in their journey to epidemic control.
A statement by the public affairs section of the United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria said almost two million people in Nigeria are currently receiving HIV treatment through the U.S.’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The US CDC supports about 1.2 million of these people in Abia, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Rivers, Gombe and FCT.
