The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and key stakeholders will meet in Lagos in August for the 7th National Council on AIDS (NCA) to chart sustainable strategies for HIV prevention and control in Nigeria.
Chairman of the NCA Planning Committee, Dr Daniel Ndukwu, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, noting that the conference will focus on securing a resilient HIV response in the face of shifting global funding patterns.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NCA, established under the NACA Act of 2006, serves as the apex body guiding Nigeria’s multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS response.
Speaking ahead of the meeting with a theme: Advancing National HIV Sustainability Agenda in the Changing Global Policy on Aid,” Dr Temitope Ilori, Director-General of NACA and Chairman of the Council, highlighted the need to ensure the design and deployment of sustainable strategies aimed at ensuring HIV prevention, treatment, and support.
“As donor landscapes evolve, Nigeria must take bold steps to ensure that HIV prevention, treatment, and support remain accessible and resilient.
“The Council offers us a unified platform to chart that future,” she said.
NAN further reports that government officials, Civil Society Organisations and partners, as well as community representatives, are expected to deliberate, especially amid a shifting global aid landscape, where funding cuts by international partners have threatened the country’s response to HIV prevention, care, and control.
The meeting will also focus on reviewing progress made thus far, consolidating national HIV sustainability efforts, and setting technical direction for the future.
It will also serve as a coordination hub for partners from across various sectors, including tuberculosis, malaria, reproductive health, civil society, religious organisations, donors, and international development partners to align efforts under a unified sustainability agenda.
