Nigeria: Buhari establishes N62 billion HIV trust fund

President Muhammadu Buhari launched a N62 billion trust fund in Abuja on Tuesday to assist Nigeria in eliminating AIDS as a public health threat and enrolling more people living with HIV in treatment on an annual basis. 

The President pledged at the launch of the HIV Trust Fund of Nigeria (HTFN) that his administration will continue to prioritize health interventions to address killer diseases and public health emergencies. 

“At the most recent United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, I called for renewed global action to address Africa’s HIV/AIDS epidemic.”  

“In order to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat in Nigeria, increased domestic funding will be required.” Using national resources, we have continued to meet our commitment of enrolling more people living with HIV in treatment each year. 

“However, to sustain the response to HIV and other emerging public health emergencies, strong domestic resource mobilization with enduring partnership and shared responsibility is required,” he said. 

President Buhari stated that Nigeria’s deliberate collaboration with the private sector in response to the COVID 19 pandemic had provided a readily available financing solution to leverage in order to sustain the HIV response. 

He praised the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the Nigeria Business Coalition Against AIDS for their work in establishing the HIV Trust Fund of Nigeria in order to ensure a generation of HIV-free babies. 

He also expressed his delight at the event’s attendance and pledges by notable global key players in HIV response and from the private sector. 

“Going forward, I hope The HIV Trust Fund of Nigeria will galvanize more private sector and other partners to exceed the target of Sixty-Two Billion Naira in the next five years,” he added.