2023: We invested over $600million in health assistance in Nigeria - US Govt

The United States government has said it invested over $600 million in health assistance in Nigeria in 2023 as part of the Nigeria-US Partnership on Health Assistance

The health assistance include provision of about 83 million insecticide-treated bed net, 22 million malaria preventive treatments in pregnancy, 164 million fast acting malaria medicines, and Insecticide to spray 121,000 homes.

It added that over 102 million rapid diagnostic tests for malaria were administered while an estimated 2 million people who live with HIV in Nigeria out of about 39 million people live with HIV globally are receiving health assistance.

A fact-sheet of the partnership seen by PEBNEWS said, "U.S. partnerships on health in Nigeria have saved millions of lives, strengthened health systems, and better prepared Nigeria and the region for current and future health security threats. 

It reiterated that the US is proud to work in partnership with Nigeria to advance these shared public health goals. 

It reads, "The facts about U.S. government partnership with Nigeria for health now and in the future includes Preventing Malaria.

"Malaria threatens more than half the world’s population and claims the life of a child every minute, and the United States, together with our global partners, has helped save more than 11.7 million lives and prevented 2 billion malaria infections globally. 

"Malaria is a leading cause of death in Nigeria, but malaria deaths in Nigeria have fallen by 55 percent since 2000.

"To advance Nigeria’s national strategy to counter malaria, since 2011, the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) has taken steps to prevent illness and death by providing Nearly 83 million insecticide-treated bed nets, 22 million malaria preventive treatments in pregnancy, and 164 million fast acting malaria medicines.

Others are provision of Insecticide to spray 121,000 homes, over 102 million rapid diagnostic tests for malaria.

On Ending HIV, it said, "About 39 million people live with HIV globally, including an estimated 2 million in Nigeria. The United States and Nigeria are focused on ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030. 

"The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has expanded HIV treatment and reduced HIV transmissions, saving more than 25 million lives in more than 50 partner countries over the past two decades and giving over 1.6 million Nigerians access to antiretroviral therapy.

 "In Nigeria, PEPFAR has invested a total of more than $8.3 billion in the national HIV response. In 2023, PEPFAR resources supported over 12 million people with HIV counseling and testing services
 
"It provided more than 2 million pregnant women with HIV counseling and testing services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV

"It provided more than 1.8 million people living with HIV with TB/HIV services and more than 1.5 million orphans and vulnerable children with care and
support services.

On Vaccines deliveries it said, "During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States helped Nigeria vaccinate 70 percent of its eligible populations. 

"The U.S. government supports Nigeria to control, eliminate, and eradicate other vaccine-preventable diseases as well.

"Through technical expertise and programmatic support, the United States collaborates with international and local partners to strengthen immunization systems and expand routine vaccine delivery. 

"In the course of these efforts, the U.S. government has donated 44 million doses of COVID vaccine, supported vaccination of 2,145,063 children for polio in security-compromised areas, helping Nigeria become certified free of wild poliovirus in 2020.

"The US also supported introduction of four new vaccines for children, including rotavirus, IPV2, measles, and HPV Advancing Global Health Security.

"The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Ebola, mpox, and other outbreaks in the country and region, has shown the devastating impacts of infectious disease on health, economies, and societies.

"Together, the United States and Nigeria are working to strengthen health security capacities. Several U.S. government agencies partner with the Nigerian government to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from emerging public health threats. 

"Through these collaborations, we are protecting the health of Nigerians, Americans, and people across the globe. 

"Key activities in Nigeria include establishing a Public Health Emergency Management Program that has trained 55 national and subnational emergency managers who have responded to seven priority outbreaks and enhancing Nigeria’s national disease surveillance systems, by training more than 800 epidemiologists and scientists to promote global best practices.

It also include "Developing Nigeria’s laboratory diagnostics to test for Ebola, mpox, yellow fever, measles, Lassa fever, cholera, and cerebrospinal meningitis, thus strengthening Nigeria’s ability to quickly detect and respond to outbreaks".