US Jump-Starts National HIV Clinical Mentors Scheme In Nigeria

The United States Government and the Federal Ministry of Health, National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCP) have confirmed that the first cohort of 19 HIV clinical mentors supported by the partnership havecompleted their induction training in Abuja.
A statement by the United States Mission in Nigeria made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt, said that “The clinical mentors are now equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge as they deploy to their various states.
“The HIV Clinical Mentors Programme (CMP) aims at building the clinical and programmatic capacity of healthcare workers to provide sustainable and high-quality HIV services for the achievement of the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets for epidemic control in Nigeria.
“The CMP, which was piloted in Rivers State in 2019, is designed to increase the Government of Nigeria’s ownership of the HIV programme with a team of highly experienced mentors engaging with NASCP to domesticate key HIV guidelines and innovations at the facility level”, the statement said.
According to the US Mission, “This not only ensures Nigeria will maintain quality implementation of HIV/AIDS programmes, but also supports efforts to ensure the sustainability of the HIV/AIDS response in the country. The CMP will provide opportunity for continuous support to health care workers through the telementoring, using Project ECHO video conferencing platform, and on-site mentoring, enabling implementation of national HIV guidelines with fidelity”.
The CDC Country Director, Dr. Mary Adetinuke Boyd, stated that ”the CMP underscores the importance of United States’ support to the Government of Nigeria to reach HIV epidemic control and highlighted how U.S. Government investment is helping to build healthcare worker capacity to sustainably respond to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, COVID-19 and to augment public health response to a variety of health threats.”
She added that, ”the programme will promote practical learning during implementation of quality HIV implementation on site, leading to enhanced workforce and ensure maximum impact of the HIV programme.”
The CMP is being jointly implemented by the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC) with Nigeria’s Ministry of Health through the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCP).
Plans are underway for 18 states and the FCT to recruit and train state-level mentors for an enhanced and seamless HIV service delivery.

By: Nelson Chukwudi