Nigeria better prepared for future outbreaks after COVID-19 investments - NACA

Nigeria is now significantly better equipped to handle future disease outbreaks, thanks to strategic investments channeled through the Global Fund's COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM). The initiative, active between 2021 and 2025, has bolstered the nation's health security by enhancing disease surveillance systems, improving laboratory networks, and strengthening emergency response mechanisms and overall health infrastructure.

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We learned through COVID-19 that being prepared for one emergency isn’t just about that emergency, it’s about being prepared for any emergency.

According to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), the C19RM intervention has moved beyond pandemic-specific responses. These investments are now a fundamental part of Nigeria's comprehensive health security framework. Dr. Temitope Ilori, Director-General of NACA, stated that lessons learned from COVID-19 underscore the importance of preparedness for any emergency, not just a single one. Investments in emergency response, supply chain resilience, and rapid deployment capabilities are now embedded in the country's health systems planning and programming.

The C19RM program has played a crucial role in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic while simultaneously reinforcing critical components of Nigeria's health system. It has also helped safeguard the progress made in combating HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. The intervention funded significant improvements in areas such as disease surveillance, laboratory systems, infection prevention and control, oxygen infrastructure, cold-chain systems, healthcare workforce capacity, and emergency response operations nationwide.

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C19RM investments in emergency response mechanisms, supply chain resilience and rapid deployment capacity are now embedded in our health systems planning and programming.

During a national close-out meeting, stakeholders reviewed the program's outcomes and discussed strategies for sustaining the achievements made. The event also served as a platform for implementing partners to share innovations, best practices, and lessons learned, highlighting the intervention's impact on healthcare delivery and public health preparedness. Tajudeen Ibrahim, Executive Secretary of the Country Coordinating Mechanism Nigeria, emphasized that the C19RM grant demonstrated the power of strong partnerships, local ownership, and effective coordination in responding to health emergencies.

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The C19RM grant demonstrated the power of effective partnership, positioning, coordination, engagement, oversight and country ownership in responding to a public health emergency.