“15+ Years of PEPFAR: How US Action on HIV/AIDS has Changed Global Health”

PEPFAR investments in Nigeria have not only transformed HIV care and treatment; they have also strengthened the health system to better provide non-HIV related care. This is the summary of the talk given by APIN’s CEO, Dr Prosper Okonkwo at the “15+ Years of PEPFAR: How US Action on HIV/AIDS has Changed Global Health” event hosted by the Harvard Global Health Institute on Monday October 7, 2019. According to him, PEPFAR support led to rapid scale-up of health facilities, reduced number of new HIV infections, strengthened leadership capacity of the HIV response for state and non- state actors, improved commodity logistics health information systems. He also highlighted APIN’s role in the national response, noting that about 25% of HIV+ patients in Nigeria are receiving treatment at APIN supported health facilities. In concluding his talk, he highlighted some of the unfinished businesses of the HIV response in Nigeria, including epidemic control at the sub-national level and the need for more committed government ownership of the response.