PEPFAR

U.S. Government/Nigeria Partnership For HIV/AIDS Relief

“It is with great pleasure that I am here today at the launching of an unprecedented partnership between the government of Nigeria and the government of the United States, to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic in this country...”  Ambassador Campbell at the Launch of PEPFAR in Abuja in 2004

"If you can imagine five years ago, only fifty thousand people in all of sub-saharan Africa living with HIV/AIDS were on treatment. As of the end of September, in 2008, in Nigeria alone, the Government of Nigeria, in partnership with the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, is supporting nearly 211,000 men, women, and children with treatment..."  Ambassador Sanders at Eagle Square, Abuja during national event to commemorate World AIDS Day 2008 in Nigeria 

 

About USG PEPFAR Agencies in Nigeria

• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
• Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Department of Defense (DOD) (pdf)
• US Embassy, Public Affairs Section (PAS)

Implementing Partners

• Comprehensive list

Fact Sheets

• Country Profile (pdf)

Success Stories

• THE U.S. Government's PMTCT Program Changes Lives

  Patience and her HIV-free daughter

  Patience struggled unsuccessfully to get pregnant before she discovered her HIV+ status. Having weathered the storm of HIV disclosure on her young marriage, another storm loomed on her horizon, or so she thought. She had to learn to accept a life of childlessness in a culture where inability to procreate is perceived as a curse.

  Coupled with her struggle to get pregnant, she now needed to follow the controlled intercourse regime recommended for HIV discordant couples, her husband having tested negative. Sadly, a medical doctor had wrongly counseled her that HIV+ women do not procreate.

  "I was devastated," said Patience. Her life changed, however, thanks to a staff member who referred her and her husband to a PEPFAR-supported site for counseling, where she became convinced that HIV+ women can and do have healthy babies. Interestingly, Patience got pregnant for the first time within six months. "My baby will be one year old tomorrow [September 18, 2008], and she is HIV free!" the proud mother exclaimed.

  "PEPFAR" is an acronym for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. PEPFAR Nigeria, through its Prevention-of-Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) program, has established over 400 PMTCT sites in health care facilities across Nigeria which have provided initial screening to more than 220,000 pregnant women and provide ongoing services and support to over 12,500 women like Patience annually. The PMTCT program also provides HIV information brochures, early infant feeding and family planning options, and early infant diagnosis and treatment for HIV+ babies. Noting that support from the PMTCT program reduces the chance of a baby contracting HIV, Patience added, "This gives HIV+ women the courage to procreate."

  According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Chief of Party (Nigeria) Nancy Knight, one of the biggest challenges has been ensuring that expectant mothers in Nigeria benefit from the full range of PMTCT services available at the sites. "We had to be more proactive in the PMTCT program area. According to PEPFAR Nigeria Inter-agency Task Team on PMTCT, in 2007, only 63% of pregnant women registered for antenatal care in Nigeria, and only a third of these women delivered in health care facilities"

 

• U.S. Government (USG) Supports Capacity Building for Improved HIV/AIDS Diagnosis and Treatment in Nigeria

  The U.S. Mission in Nigeria through the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) recently facilitated two hands-on training workshops on HIV diagnosis and treatment monitoring for medical laboratory scientists in Nigeria. The two-week training drew participants from 14 military hospitals across Nigeria. The workshop took place at the 445NAF Hospital Laboratory, Ikeja, Lagos from October 24 – November 7, 2008.

  According to Ms. Joanna Katzman of DOD, "This workshop is one of a series of training activities designed to strengthen the Ministry of Defense's laboratory system. Through continued emphasis on good laboratory practices, technical expertise and quality control, we are developing a generation of well trained professionals who will one day be the trainers of tomorrow’s laboratorians."

  In her remarks to participants U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, the Honorable Robin Renée Sanders, noted that that the most critical component of capacity building is human development. This goes beyond transfer of technology and the provision of equipment, which the U.S. Government supports in Nigeria through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) among other programs. She encouraged participants to implement, share and pass down to others the knowledge and skills that they have acquired at the workshop, as, by this, they would have provided building blocks for their (participants) own future and country (Nigeria).

  The 12th in the series of such training programs, the workshop exemplifies partnership between the U.S. Government and Government of Nigeria for HIV/AIDS mitigation.

  USG Support for Military AIDS Mitigation Dates Back to 2005 in Nigeria

  The U.S. Mission in Nigeria has been involved in HIV mitigation with the Nigerian military since 2005. Nigeria is a big country with a large military force, and plays a major role in peace-keeping efforts around Africa. While a recent study estimated a lower HIV prevalence within the military than in the general population, efforts must continue to prevent new infections.

  A hallmark of the DOD’s PEPFAR Program is the significant emphasis on training and capacity building. DOD helped to establish the 445NAF Hospital Laboratory as a Laboratory Training Centre for the Nigerian military. Military and civilian personnel are trained at the facility, and opportunities for training will extend to those from other GON entities.

  Tagged Military HIV Program (MHP), the PEPFAR program with the military has received more than USD 37 million and aims at increasing the capacity of the Nigerian military to prevent, diagnose, care and treat HIV/AIDS within the greater military community in Nigeria.

  Participants Praise Training

  Participants agreed that the workshop, led by DOD Laboratory Manager Dr. Ezekiel Akintunde, greatly reinforced their knowledge and built their skills in critical areas of medical diagnosis such as specimen management, procedures and techniques, including machine calibration, maintenance and management, standardization of operating guidelines and procedures, and communication. The workshop was very educative and posed challenges - challenges relating to adopting best practices in quality control of blood samples and standardization of our operating procedures to achieve accurate test results for treatment management," said Wing Commander R.O. Sodeyi (rtd) of 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna. Mrs. Ojasanmi of Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Ojo, Lagos explained that although she is a qualified chemical pathologist she has just learned some critical reasons for failure of diagnoses and the resultant failure of treatment in HIV+ patients.

  Press Room

  • President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – Past, Current and Future Support to Nigeria [June 7, 2007]
  • Photo Gallery: PEPFAR events in Nigeria 
  • Press Inquiries
  • For press inquiries contact:
    US Embassy, Public Affairs Section, 1075 Diplomatic Way, Central Area, Abuja
    Tel.: 234-9-4614000 Fax: 234-9-461-4010 

  Nigeria HIV/AIDS Policy Documents

  • ABC Guidance #1 (pdf 15 pages)
  • Abuja Declaration and The Plan of Action (pdf 11 pages)
  • Country Response Information System: Overview of The System and Its Plan of Establishment (pdf 46 pages)
  • General Policy Guidance for All Bilateral Programs (pdf 16 pages)
  • Guidance for US Government In-Country Staff and Implementing Partners for Preventive Care Package for Adults - #1 (pdf 12 pages)
  • HIVAIDS Palliative Care Guidance #1: For the US Government in-Country Staff and Implementing Partners (pdf 17 pages)
  • HIV Prevention among Drug Users Guidance #1: Injection Heroin Use (pdf 3 pages)
  • HIV Prevention in the African Region: A Strategy for Renewal and Acceleration (pdf 13 pages)
  • Indicators Reference Guide (pdf 114 pages)
  • Injection Safety Assessment in Nigeria 2004 (pdf 48 pages)
  • Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Program Guidance for US Government in-Country Staff and Implementing Partners (pdf 24 pages)
  • Standards for Universal Precautions and Healthcare Management Practices 2005 (pdf 14 pages) 
  • UN General Assembly: Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (pdf 15 pages)
  • US Commitment Global HIV/AIDS (pdf 2 pages)
  Contact us:

                       Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
                   252 Herbert Macaulay Way
                   Central Area
                   Abuja
                   Tel: 09-460-1600
                   09-460-1629 

                   United States Agency for International Development
                   7-9 Mambilla Street
                   Off Aso Drive, Abuja
                   PMB 519 Garki Abuja
                   Tel: 09-461-9300

                   United States Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Program
                   7 Usuma Street
                   Off Gana Street
                   Maitama
                   Abuja
                   Tel: 09-413-4309

                   United States Embassy Public Affairs Section
                   1075 Diplomatic Way
                   Central Area
                   Abuja
                   09-461-4000