From March 10–14, 2025, the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), conducted Quality Assurance (QA) visits and a Simulated Patient Exercise (SimEx) across selected primary health care (PHC) facilities in Kano and Ogun States.
The QA visits aimed to assess project implementation at the sub-national level, identify gaps, provide solutions, and share best practices. SimEx was conducted in high-performing PHCs to evaluate their functional readiness to detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. Teams from AFENET, NCDC, and NPHCDA, in collaboration with the State Primary Health Care Boards, facilitated the exercises.
Stakeholder Engagement
The national team engaged key state stakeholders to ensure sustainability and ownership:
✔ Identified and registered zero-dose and under-immunized children
✔ Vaccinated and tracked these children through optimized outreach strategies (OOS)
✔ Improved community ownership and trust in immunization efforts
This targeted approach has significantly boosted vaccine uptake in Zamfara, reinforcing the importance of community-driven interventions.
Preparing for Sustainability: The Transition Plan
- Update stakeholders on the CG project’s progress
- Review achievements and challenges faced
- Discuss pre-transition activities
- Develop sustainability strategies and define stakeholder roles
- Executive Secretary (ES), Zamfara State Primary Health Care Board
- Director of Disease Control and Immunization (DDCI)
- State Immunization Officer (SIO)
- Program Manager, State RI Working Group
- Health Educator (HE)
- Community Engagement Focal Person (CEFP)
- Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO)
- Assistant Cold Chain Officer (ACCO)
- Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (M&E)
- NPHCDA State Coordinator (SC)
Looking Ahead
The validation of this triplex assay technology is a major step towards streamlining HIV diagnostics in Nigeria. If fully implemented, it could significantly enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility of HIV testing, ultimately contributing to better disease surveillance and control efforts.
As Phase II progresses, collaborations between Nigerian health institutions, AFENET, and international partners will continue to be key drivers of success.
With its potential to revolutionize HIV diagnosis, this technology could become a gold standard in ensuring early detection and effective management of HIV in Nigeria and beyond.
