The global effort to strengthen country-led HIV and malaria responses took a significant step forward as the Global Fund, Society for Family Health (SFH), and national health authorities launched a new technical assistance initiative to advance an Alternative Delivery Model in Lagos aimed at shifting essential services into private-sector channels and preparing Nigeria for an anticipated decline in donor funding.
Speaking at the launch, Managing Director of SFH, Dr Omokhudu Idogho, warned that Nigeria must urgently confront the realities of shrinking donor support across HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria programmes. He noted that although Nigeria receives less than one per cent of its total health funding from Overseas Development Assistance, international donors still account for up to 78 per cent of spending on the HIV response.
Describing the situation as a “national security emergency”, Idogho cautioned that millions of Nigerians remain dependent on external resources. He stressed the need to build a sustainable mixed-market health system capable of protecting hard-won gains.
The new initiative, he said, is anchored in the Total Market Approach and seeks to strengthen national sustainability by leveraging contributions from the public sector, private providers, and communities. He added that the workshop would co-create a model defining how pharmacies and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) can expand testing, treatment, and prevention services.
Joining virtually, Senior Advisor for Supply Chain Strategy and Policy at the Global Fund, Sidharth Rupani, expressed confidence that the project would serve as a catalyst for long-term financial sustainability. He said the investment will test new models for HIV self-testing, oral PrEP, and malaria diagnostics in private-sector settings, noting that pharmacies and PPMVs remain essential care points for millions of Nigerians. He added that although the pilot will begin in four states, its findings will shape broader scale-up in subsequent Global Fund cycles.
Speaking on behalf of the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Head of Public-Private Partnership and Resource Mobilisation, Desmond Aso, said Nigeria’s heavy reliance on donor funds is no longer sustainable. He called for stronger leadership, improved budget releases, and coordinated private-sector participation. Many private health actors, he said, remain outside national data systems, limiting effective planning.
Representing the National Coordinator of the National AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Hepatitis Control Programme, Dr Hafsat Iyanda commended SFH for promoting a “people-owned” initiative and said the project would enhance collaboration across HIV, malaria, and TB programmes.
Also, Senior Programme Manager representing the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr Ahmad Njidda, emphasised the role of pharmacies and PPMVs as the most accessible malaria providers nationwide. He underscored the need to end presumptive treatment and increase access to rapid diagnostic testing.
Delivering goodwill remarks for the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Ene Daniel-Ebune reiterated the council’s commitment to regulatory frameworks that support innovation in the private sector. She said strengthened regulation would ensure sustainability and enhance public health protection.
President of the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers, Sylvanus Onuoha, welcomed the launch as a landmark for primary healthcare delivery and called for continued investment in training and licensing of PPMVs.
Executive Secretary of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, Olufemi Akingbade, highlighted the need to fully integrate private-sector actors into national planning, noting that they already shoulder significant financial responsibility through out-of-pocket spending. He pledged the support of HFN’s 400 member organisations for the success of the model.
State Secretary of the Lagos State Medicine Dealers Association, Hope Ezenwoke, also pledged the cooperation of Lagos-based PPMVs and said the model could improve coverage in underserved communities.
The initiative is expected to play a central role in Nigeria’s transition from donor dependence to a more resilient, country-owned health response, with private-sector providers positioned as key frontline actors.
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