National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have pledged to integrate HIV prevention and treatment services into Nigeria’s emergency response systems to ensure no one is left behind during disasters.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The decision was announced in Abuja when NACA’s Director General, Dr. Temitope Ilori, paid a courtesy visit to NEMA’s headquarters. The two agencies agreed to strengthen collaboration in responding to emergencies while ensuring that people living with HIV receive continuous care and access to treatment, even in crisis situations.
Dr. Ilori said the initiative will help protect vulnerable Nigerians, especially those displaced by floods, conflicts, and other disasters. “We must ensure that internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups have access to HIV prevention tools, testing, and treatment during emergencies,” she said. “Our goal is to make sure no one is left behind, no matter the situation.”
NEMA’s Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, described the visit as timely, noting that the partnership between the two agencies is crucial to building resilience in disaster-prone communities. “We share a common goal of coordination and protecting lives,” she said. “Synergy between NACA and NEMA is essential for an effective, people-centered response during emergencies.”
Umar pointed out that most health assessments in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps often ignore HIV testing and treatment, leaving affected persons at risk of losing access to life-saving care. She said NEMA will work with NACA to include HIV screening, counseling, and awareness programs in its standard emergency response protocols.
The collaboration aims to improve health outcomes among displaced populations and prevent new infections in humanitarian settings. NACA and NEMA also agreed to train emergency workers on HIV awareness, prevention, and care during disaster response operations.
Nigeria faces frequent emergencies, including floods, armed conflicts, and displacement crises, that disrupt access to essential health services. In such situations, people living with HIV are among the most vulnerable, as they often lose contact with health facilities and struggle to continue treatment.
Dr. Ilori said NACA’s long-term goal is to make HIV services sustainable by embedding them into national systems, rather than treating them as stand-alone programs. “Integrating HIV response into broader health and disaster management systems is key to ensuring continuity of care,” she said.
Health experts have welcomed the move, saying it reflects a growing recognition that public health and disaster response must go hand in hand. “Emergencies expose gaps in our systems,” said a senior public health officer familiar with the initiative. “When HIV services are built into emergency response, it ensures continuity of care and protects people who are already vulnerable.”
The agencies are expected to develop joint guidelines, create emergency response teams trained in HIV management, and pilot the initiative in selected states most affected by recurrent floods and displacement.
If successful, the partnership could serve as a model for integrating HIV services into humanitarian operations across West Africa, where millions of people face similar challenges due to conflict and natural disasters.
The NACA-NEMA collaboration marks a shift toward a more inclusive disaster response strategy—one that considers both immediate survival needs and long-term health care.
As Nigeria continues to confront climate-related emergencies and displacement, officials say the new approach will help ensure that people living with HIV maintain access to treatment and that the country’s progress in combating the disease is not reversed by crises.
