In a significant step towards health system autonomy, Ebonyi State has been selected among six pilot states to spearhead Nigeria’s transition to locally led responses in the fight against HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), and Malaria, as international donor support continues to decline.
The announcement was made during a three-day high-level stakeholders’ engagement on the Sustainability Roadmap, organised by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health.
Addressing participants, Mr Daniel Ndukwe, Director of Policy Planning and Coordination at NACA, underscored the urgency of moving beyond donor dependency.
“Nigeria’s fight against HIV, TB, and Malaria can no longer be donor-dependent,” he said.
“The funding landscape has changed. Now is the time for a homegrown response. We must use our government structures to do what partners have done for years.”
Ndukwe urged Ebonyi State to engage all relevant ministries and agencies—not just the Ministry of Health—to ensure the sustainability of disease prevention and treatment efforts.
He stressed the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration, involving departments such as transport, youth, women’s affairs, and information.
The Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Agency for the Control of AIDS (EBOSACA), Prince Chibueze Andrew Iteshi, welcomed the transition, describing it as a shift from partner-driven to government-led response.
He called for increased state government funding, broader public education, and support for the agency’s strategic focus on prevention and capacity building.
“We have over 18,000 people living with HIV currently enrolled for treatment in Ebonyi State. Yet many in rural areas still have no idea what HIV is,” Iteshi noted, recalling a recent community sensitisation in Ogbala Ishieke (Ebonyi LGA), where six individuals tested positive on the spot.
He urged stronger media engagement, political will, and the involvement of traditional and religious leaders to drive awareness.
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“Our people must understand that HIV, TB, and Malaria are real. The earlier you know your status, the better your chances of survival and healthy living,” he said.
Representing Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, Professor Emmanuel Echegu, the Chief of Staff, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to owning the response.
“This is a wake-up call. We must figure out how to sustain services for people affected now and in the future,” he stated.
Other key stakeholders present included the Commissioner for Health, Dr Moses Ekuma, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Lawrence Ezeogo, Executive Secretary of the PHC Development Agency, Dr Phillip Ovuoba, Director General of the Ebonyi Broadcasting Corporation, Comrade Tony Nwizi, Coordinator of the Ebonyi Development Centre, Dr Destiny Nwodom, and several other senior government officials.
They all reiterated their commitment to fully implement the sustainability roadmap by integrating disease control efforts into the state’s planning and budgeting processes.
As donor support winds down, the stakeholders affirmed that this engagement demonstrates Ebonyi’s bold commitment to ensure no one is left behind in the fight against HIV, TB, and Malaria, while positioning the state as a model for others across Nigeria ahead of the 2030 global eradication targets.