The National Agency for the Control of AIDS has said Nigeria is now better positioned to respond to future disease outbreaks following strategic investments made under the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism between 2021 and 2025.
The agency disclosed this ahead of a national close-out meeting convened in collaboration with the Global Fund and key implementing partners to review achievements, lessons learned and the long-term impact of the COVID-19 Response Mechanism investments in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Director-General of NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori, said investments made during the COVID-19 era had evolved beyond emergency intervention and now form part of Nigeria’s broader health security framework.
“We learned through COVID-19 that being prepared for one emergency isn’t just about that emergency; it’s about being prepared for any emergency,” Dr Ilori said.
NACA stated that the intervention, introduced to support countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, has left behind stronger disease surveillance systems, improved laboratory networks, enhanced emergency response mechanisms and more resilient health infrastructure capable of responding to future public health threats.
She added, “C19RM investments in emergency response mechanisms, supply chain resilience and rapid deployment capacity are now embedded in our health systems planning and programming.”
According to NACA, the COVID-19 Response Mechanism supported Nigeria’s efforts to reduce the impact of the pandemic while strengthening critical areas of the country’s healthcare system and safeguarding progress made in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
The agency stated that the intervention funded improvements in disease surveillance, laboratory systems, infection prevention and control measures, oxygen infrastructure, cold-chain systems, healthcare workforce capacity and emergency response operations nationwide.
Stakeholders review gains
Stakeholders at the close-out meeting reviewed programme outcomes and explored strategies to sustain gains recorded after the conclusion of the grant.
The meeting also provided a platform for implementing partners to share innovations, best practices and lessons from implementation while highlighting the programme’s impact on healthcare delivery and public health preparedness.
The Executive Secretary of the Country Coordinating Mechanism Nigeria, Tajudeen Ibrahim, said the programme demonstrated the importance of partnerships and local ownership in responding to health emergencies.
“The C19RM grant demonstrated the power of effective partnership, positioning, coordination, engagement, oversight and country ownership in responding to a public health emergency,” Mr Ibrahim said.
He noted that beyond supporting Nigeria’s immediate COVID-19 response, the investments had strengthened critical health systems and expanded preparedness and response capacity for future pandemics and disease outbreaks.
“These investments have strengthened critical health systems and facilitated pandemic preparedness and response capacities that will continue to benefit the country for years to come. As we close this chapter, our focus must remain on sustaining these gains and leveraging lessons learned to build a more resilient health system for all Nigerians,” he added.
Stakeholders stressed that the close-out meeting served not only as a reflection on achievements recorded under the programme but also as a renewed commitment toward building a stronger healthcare system capable of responding effectively to future public health emergencies.
The event featured presentations from implementing agencies and partners, panel discussions, stakeholder reflections and the premiere of documentary and storytelling products capturing the impact of the intervention on communities across the country.
The Global Fund established the COVID-19 Response Mechanism in 2020 to help countries address the health, social and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic while protecting essential health services and preserving progress made against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
Nigeria was among beneficiary countries, receiving support to strengthen testing and laboratory capacity, improve oxygen supply systems, enhance disease surveillance, reinforce emergency preparedness and build health worker capacity.
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