US Global Aids Gives $469Million Donation To Nigeria To Fight HIV/AIDS

June 17, 2017 – US Global Aids Gives $469Million Donation To Nigeria To Fight HIV/AIDS

On Friday, US Global AIDs Ambassador, Deborah Birx signed a new operational plan tagged cop 2017 with Nigeria.

• The Country Operational Plan is an annual programme plan for the US government investments in the Nigeria National HIV/AIDS response through the US President’s emergency plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

• US Ambassador W. Stuart Symington and the Director General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA) co-signed the document, describing it as a historic occasion, representing the first time such an agreement was signed in the focus country.

“Right here, right now, in this effort, Nigerians working with the United States can change the course of Nigeria’s history forever when it comes to health,”Ambassador Symington said.

Ambassador Birx underlined the historic nature of the signing, saying “this was the first time that we have ever signed a U.S. government commitment on HIV/AIDS to a country, in that country”, she emphasized.

She said the reasons for the US support for the Country Operational Plan are two-fold: to represent the depth and breadth of the Trump administration’s commitment to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, and to represent the depth and breadth of the commitment to Nigeria and to the Nigerian government’s “ability to do something big at this moment in time.”

“I personally have been impressed with the Minister of Health. I have been impressed by your new leadership in the NACA. I have been impressed with their ability to hit the ground running, to understand where we don’t have the depth of knowledge that we need to ensure that all Nigerians can thrive free of HIV,” Ambassador Birx stated.

“I think Nigeria can go from some of the lowest numbers in all of West and Central Africa to the leadership position that it should be in and really shining the light on how to control this pandemic and ensure all Nigerians can thrive,” she added.

NACA DG who received the fund on behalf of the government promises that the fund will be used for its intended purpose.

Here is what Dr Sani Aliyu told US Global Aids representative yesterday:

“Remember that we have just about crossed the first million people on treatment, and most of it is driven by the U.S. government with more than 700,000 people on treatment.

“You are committing already to putting an additional 260,000 people on treatment. That means the U.S. government is keeping alive hundreds of thousands of Nigerians, hundreds of thousands who are currently looking after their families, putting bread on the table” .