The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, has presented the final technical report of the 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) to the Minister of Health, Prof. Osagie Ehanire. The report presentation was made after rigorous review and validation of the survey results and conclusions. It is the largest population-based HIV survey ever to be completed globally.
In her remarks, the Ambassador congratulated the Government of Nigeria for leading the conduct of NAIIS and rapidly using the results of the survey to guide its efforts toward achieving HIV/AIDS epidemic control and improving the health and well-being of the Nigerian people.
Ambassador Leonard commended the role of donors, including the Global Fund, President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for supporting the fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria and their contributions in the NAIIS survey. She recognized the collaboration managed by the CDC, which ensured that the NAIIS quality survey was conducted and concluded in record time. The survey findings greatly increased stakeholders’ understanding of the epidemic and provided critical data that informed programmatic decisions and interventions that have led to the provision of life-saving treatment to over 1 million Nigerians living with HIV.
She also recognized CDC’s implementing partner, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), for their tremendous efforts working with the Government and other partners to implement the survey and finalize the technical report. She reiterated that the U.S. government stands ready to continue its partnership with the Government of Nigeria and other international and domestic partners to support Nigeria, as it builds upon its successes in fighting HIV/AIDS.
In addition to funding from Global Fund in 2018, the U.S. Government, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), provided $71 million to support the implementation of NAIIS. The survey provided detailed epidemiologic data on HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C in the country and assessed the impact of 15 years of PEPFAR investment in Nigeria.
