A Nigerian medical professional, Dr. Chinonso Egemba, who is popularly referred to as Aproko Doctor on social media, has raised concerns over the Nigeria’s healthcare service delivery following the reported halt in the United States’ funding to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
On his X social media handle, Aproko warned that Nigeria cannot continue to rely on donations for its healthcare needs for its citizen.
He noted that with the pause in US foreign aid, Nigeria may witness a sharp rise in HIV, tuberculosis and malaria infections that is troubling the sun-Saharan Africa.
The statement said, “Now is the time to take our health system seriously. The second-best time was yesterday. Nigeria cannot continue to depend on donations for its own healthcare.”
Egemba highlighted the severity of the impact the cut in funding will cost the country, particularly on people living with HIV in Nigeria.
“If you don’t treat HIV, almost everyone affected will develop AIDS,” he explained, stressing that antiretroviral drugs are crucial in suppressing the virus and preventing transmission.
Egemba noted that due to their high cost, these drugs are largely donated and with the withdrawal of PEPFAR funding, Nigeria may slide into health crisis.
“If Nigeria doesn’t rise to the occasion and take charge, infections will rise—currently close to 200,000 new infections every year. People will die from AIDS because drugs are not available,” he warned.
Apart of the HIV, he added that the suspension of funding would also amount to spike in other diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, further straining the country’s already burdened healthcare system.
“Our already burdened healthcare system will be burdened further which might be make or break.
“These are just a snippet of the ripple effect. Let’s not forget that diseases like tuberculosis and malaria are being affected also by the pause of funding,” he is therefore calling on authorities to take urgent steps to address the situation.
