NACA partners private sector on HIV funding
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) is working towards partnering with the Nigeria Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCCA) and MTN Foundation on HIV funding.
NIBUCCA is a coalition of key players in the private sector with the mandate to provide assistance and grants for activities connected to the rehabilitation, treatment, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.
A statement from the agency yesterday said the partnership was geared towards increased internal funding, ownership and sustainability of the national response to combat HIV/ AIDS.
Speaking during the partnership meeting at the Access Bank headquarters in Lagos, Director-General of the agency, Dr Sani Aliyu, said partnership with the private sector was important considering the level of dependency on international funds.
He said the need to look inwards has become mandatory to sustain the HIV/AIDS response in the country.
Aliyu said the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV/AIDS was a key aspect to ensure that the virus was eradicated by 2030 going by the UNAIDS target of 90-9090-90.
Group Managing Director of Access Bank/Co-chairman of NIBUCAA, Mr Herbert Onyewumbi said the coalition represents the voice of the private sector in the campaign against HIV/ AIDS. He noted that the proposal by NACA in the fight against AIDS was a welcome development, as they would work on avenues to see that the response was improved and sustained.
The statement said that NACA was also seeking collaboration with the private sector to set up a HIV/AIDS Trust Fund, which would be managed by the private sector while government provides technical support.
In a similar meeting, the DG NACA also met with executives of MTN Foundation to discuss how the HIV/AIDS Call Centre currently supported by Etisalat and Airtel could be improved with the involvement of MTN.