The Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Temitope Ilori, and her counterpart at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, have pledged to deepen collaboration by integrating HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services into Nigeria’s emergency and disaster response systems.
According to a statement released by NACA on Friday, the commitment followed a courtesy visit by Dr. Ilori to NEMA’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday. The visit aimed to strengthen inter-agency partnerships and ensure that vulnerable populations, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), have consistent access to HIV services during emergencies.
The two agencies agreed that closer cooperation would improve Nigeria’s humanitarian response capacity and help safeguard the health and resilience of at-risk communities.
Dr. Ilori commended NEMA’s leadership in national emergency coordination and emphasised the need to embed HIV response activities within disaster management structures.
“There is a need to ensure that IDPs and other vulnerable populations have access to HIV prevention tools, testing services, and treatment during crises,” she said.
In her remarks, Mrs. Umar described the meeting as both timely and strategic, noting that NEMA and NACA share a common mission of coordination—one for disaster response and the other for the national HIV response.
“Synergy between the two agencies is essential for building community resilience. Prevention has remained our mantra, and the more resilience we build, the fewer victims we will have and the fewer resources we will need to spend on emergency responses,” she stated.
Umar highlighted the limited focus on HIV in health assessments within IDP camps and called for greater integration of HIV testing, care, and prevention services in humanitarian settings. She also acknowledged the importance of addressing stigma and confidentiality concerns when providing such services.
The NEMA boss further expressed interest in adopting NACA’s preventive tools and medications, noting that long-term IDP settlements often involve adult cohabitation, which increases the need for accessible HIV prevention measures.