Former Minister of Health and Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Canada, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has described Nigeria’s response to HIV/AIDS as one of the greatest public health success stories in recent history, while warning that the country must work harder to sustain the gains achieved over the years.
Adewole spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the 25th anniversary celebration and public health symposium of APIN Public Health Initiatives, where health experts, government officials, development partners and stakeholders gathered to review Nigeria’s progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS and discuss strategies for maintaining the achievements recorded so far.
The former minister said the country had made remarkable progress in reducing HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths through sustained investments in treatment, prevention and community-based healthcare services.
According to him, the expansion of free and subsidized antiretroviral therapy, decentralized HIV care and improved prevention programs has transformed the lives of millions of Nigerians living with HIV.
“The HIV response remains one of the great public health success stories of our time. Free and subsidized antiretroviral therapy, decentralized HIV care and prevention services have helped improve outcomes for millions of people,” Adewole said.
Nigeria has one of the largest HIV treatment programs in Africa. Over the years, the country has expanded access to testing, treatment and counselling services through partnerships involving government agencies, international donors, civil society groups and healthcare institutions.
Adewole noted that interventions such as the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, behavioural change programs and community-based healthcare services have played a major role in reducing the spread of the virus.
He said these efforts have not only lowered the number of new infections but have also improved the quality of life of people living with HIV.
According to him, the HIV response demonstrates what can be achieved when governments, development partners and communities work together using evidence-based public health strategies.
He added that the lessons learned from the HIV program could be applied to other healthcare challenges facing the country.
Beyond HIV/AIDS, Adewole highlighted improvements recorded in other areas of public health over the last three decades.
He pointed to progress in maternal and child healthcare, malaria prevention, tuberculosis control and immunization programs as evidence that targeted investments can produce meaningful results.
According to him, improvements in immunization coverage, nutrition programs, maternal healthcare services and access to life-saving medicines have contributed significantly to reducing child and maternal deaths across the country.
The former minister also highlighted achievements in tuberculosis control through the expansion of Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS), wider use of GeneXpert diagnostic technology and the integration of tuberculosis and HIV services.
He said malaria control efforts, including the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, increased access to effective anti-malaria drugs, rapid diagnostic testing and the introduction of malaria vaccines, have also improved health outcomes.
Despite these achievements, Adewole warned that several emerging threats could reverse the progress made if governments fail to strengthen healthcare systems.
He identified antimicrobial resistance, climate change, disease outbreaks, economic shocks and declining international donor support as major challenges that require urgent attention.
“We need to do more than ever before to ensure that these gains are sustained,” he said.
The former minister stressed that local funding for healthcare has become increasingly important, especially as some traditional donor countries reduce overseas development assistance.
According to him, countries can no longer rely heavily on external funding and must invest more of their own resources in healthcare.
“The issue of local funding has become critical, and countries must now use their own resources in order to address health challenges,” Adewole added.
The event also celebrated the contributions of APIN Public Health Initiatives to Nigeria’s healthcare sector over the past 25 years.
Founded in 2000 as an HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and research initiative, APIN has grown into one of the country’s leading indigenous public health organizations.
Over the years, the organization has expanded its work beyond HIV/AIDS to include tuberculosis control, malaria interventions, maternal and child health, disease surveillance, laboratory strengthening and health systems development.
Speaking on behalf of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Temitope Ilori, praised APIN for its contributions to public health in Nigeria.
She recalled that the organization was established during a period when the HIV epidemic posed a major threat to public health and was accompanied by widespread stigma, fear and weak healthcare infrastructure.
“Twenty-five years ago, the public health landscape was quite daunting. We were facing the rising tide of the HIV epidemic, a crisis marked by stigma, despair and fragile healthcare infrastructure,” she said.
According to Ilori, APIN’s growth mirrors Nigeria’s broader progress in tackling HIV/AIDS and improving healthcare delivery.
“Today, APIN stands tall as one of our premier indigenous non-governmental public health organizations, partnering with the Federal Government of Nigeria to improve healthcare and change lives,” she said.
She disclosed that APIN currently provides treatment support to nearly 20 per cent of Nigerians living with HIV and has contributed significantly to the decline in HIV prevalence across the country.
“Today, we celebrate the fact that APIN manages treatment for almost 20 per cent of people living with HIV across Nigeria and is contributing immensely to the decline in HIV prevalence across the country,” she stated.
Ilori further revealed that APIN now operates in 30 states and has played a major role in strengthening laboratory networks, improving health data systems, conducting community surveys and building public health capacity nationwide.
According to her, the organization’s programs support the Federal Government’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and have expanded access to HIV services through primary healthcare centers.
She added that APIN has also made important contributions in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, training healthcare workers and promoting data-driven decision-making.
However, she warned that significant challenges remain despite the progress achieved.
“We must not become complacent even as we celebrate our successes,” she said.
Ilori pointed to the continuing HIV burden among key populations, the threat of drug-resistant tuberculosis, the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases and inadequate domestic health financing as major concerns.
In his remarks, APIN Chief Executive Officer, Prosper Okonkwo, said the organization remains committed to supporting Nigeria’s healthcare priorities despite changes in the global funding environment.
“As we look to the future, we do so with great enthusiasm and expectation, even as the global health funding landscape continues to shift in ways that few of us would have predicted a few years ago,” he said.
Okonkwo noted that APIN has spent years building strong systems, investing in technology and developing human resources capable of sustaining healthcare programs across the country.
He assured stakeholders that the organization would continue to leverage partnerships and innovation to improve health outcomes for Nigerians.