Thursday, January 2, 2025
1/2/2025
Context: Nigeria is home to an estimated 3,500,000 people living with HIV (PLWH), more than any country except South Africa. Nigeria’s HIV epidemic is characterized by complex variations across states, subnational units (SNU) and population groups. Although key populations (men who have sex with men, female sex workers, and people who inject drugs) comprise only 1% of the population, they account for 23% of new infections, while adolescent girls and young women account for 64% of infections in youth aged 15-24. Benue State has the highest HIV prevalence (15.4%) and contributes significantly to the national HIV burden in Nigeria. Despite notable progress in the national HIV response over the past decade with support from PEPFAR and other donors, Nigeria faces significant challenges that have thus far limited its progress towards the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. Overcoming these challenges to achieve ART saturation in high-burden SNU will require a full-court press involving the scale-up of proven approaches for high-yield HIV testing, effective linkage to ART, and retention and adherence support, as well as the introduction of new service delivery models that bring HIV services closer to the population, reduce health facility congestion and increase service quality. CIHP Nigeria: The Centre for Integrated Health Programs (CIHP) is a Nigerian non-governmental organization promoting better health outcomes for all Nigerians through sustainable partnerships and locally adapted, rigorously tested approaches. Since its establishment in 2010, CIHP has successfully managed three PEPFAR-funded HIV prevention, care and treatment awards totaling $178M and has initiated small grants to 124 CBO to maximize the reach and impact of its activities. Presently, CIHP supports over 125,000 PLWH on ART across Benue, Gombe, Kaduna and Kogi states, including 90,588 with PEPFAR support. Since commencing community ART in five PEPFAR scale-up local government areas in Benue State, CIHP has consistently initiated upwards of 1,000 PLWH on ART each month, with 55% initiated at health facilities and 45% initiated in the community. Purpose and Goals: The purpose of the Partnering Effectively to end AIDS through Results and Learning (PEARL) project is to leverage successes from CIHP’s current awards, as well as other proven and innovative strategies for reaching those at greatest risk of HIV acquisition, to reduce new HIV infections and achieve epidemic control in Nigeria. CIHP will structure its support and activities around three project goals. First, in local government areas (LGA) targeted for scale-up, CIHP will support achievement of 90-90-90 by saturating ART uptake and retention among PLWH including men who have sex with men, female sex workers, people who inject drugs, TB/HIV co-infected patients, adolescent girls and young women, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and pediatrics including orphaned and vulnerable children. Second, CIHP will provide focused, intensive support to strengthen the underlying systems – including laboratory, strategic information, human resources for health and service delivery – needed to achieve and sustain ART saturation. Third, in sustained support LGA, CIHP will ensure that existing ART patients receive quality C&Tx and are maintained on ART throughout the project. Outcomes: By 2022, CIHP will support the Government of Nigeria (GoN) to achieve ART saturation in seven current and three or more future scale-up LGA in Benue State, and maintain enrollment in 119 sustained support LGA in Benue, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina and Kogi. Using a combination of proven and innovative approaches that span health facility and community settings,CIHP and its technical partners will initiate 91,977 new PLWH and maintain 39,695 existing patients on ART in scale-up LGA; and initiate 19,246 PLWH on ART and maintain 128,026 patients on ART across 119 SS LGA; ultimately reduce new HIV infections and support HIV epidemic control in Nigeria.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).