The global push for a more sustainable, country-owned HIV and malaria response gained significant momentum on Tuesday as the Global Fund, Society for Family Health (SFH), and key national programmes launched a new Technical Assistance Support for the Alternative Delivery Model in Lagos. The initiative is designed to shift service delivery into private-sector channels while preparing Nigeria for an inevitable decline in donor funding.

Speaking at the launch held on Tuesday at the Dover Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, the Managing Director of SFH, Dr. Omokhudu Idogho, said the initiative comes at a critical moment when Nigeria must confront the realities of dwindling donor support for HIV, TB, and malaria. He noted that while Nigeria receives less than 1% of its total funding from Overseas Development Assistance, up to 78% of expenditure in the HIV response still comes from international donors.

Idogho described the situation as a “national security emergency,” stressing that millions of Nigerian lives remain dependent on donor resources and goodwill. He warned that failure to build a sustainable, mixed-market health system would jeopardize decades of progress made in the national response.

The SFH chief stated that the new project, grounded in the Total Market Approach, would leverage contributions from the public sector, private providers, and communities to strengthen long-term sustainability. He emphasized that the workshop would produce a co-created model defining how private-sector actors; including pharmacies and PPMVs can support testing, treatment, and prevention services.

Idogho added that Nigeria must begin to scale new efficiencies even as implementation expands across states. He reiterated that SFH’s goal is to support government ownership while building a functional market structure backed by 43 years of SFH’s community-level experience and multi-sectoral partnerships.

Delivering his remarks virtually, Sidharth Rupani, Senior Advisor for Supply Chain Strategy and Policy at the Global Fund, expressed strong confidence in the project’s catalytic potential. He said the new investment would test financial sustainability models for HIV self-tests, oral PrEP, and malaria diagnostics within private-sector channels.

Rupani noted that private pharmacies and PPMVs remain an essential point of care for millions of Nigerians and must be fully integrated into national service delivery. He stressed the importance of meeting patients “where they are” and ensuring quality-assured products are available outside public facilities.

He explained that while the pilot will initially be rolled out in four states, the insights generated will shape the scale-up of similar models in future Global Fund cycles. Rupani added that SFH emerged winner from over 20 bidders due to its technical depth, long-standing relationships, and track record of effective private-sector engagement.

Representing the Director-General of NACA, Desmond Aso, Head of Public-Private Partnership and Resource Mobilisation, said Nigeria’s reliance on donor-driven HIV funding is no longer sustainable. He warned that the coming transition requires urgent leadership and financial commitment from government at all levels.

Aso said the national response must now prioritize efficiency, improved budgetary releases, and structured private-sector participation. He expressed concern that many private-sector health contributors remain outside national data systems, limiting accurate national planning.

He urged government, civil society, MDAs, communities, and private actors to work collectively to sustain HIV, TB, and malaria interventions long after donors exit. He said the engagement was timely and crucial for charting Nigeria’s long-term response pathway.

Representing the National Coordinator of NASCP, Dr. Hafsat Iyanda commended SFH for championing a “people-owned” initiative. She said the project would significantly improve private-sector engagement and foster stronger collaboration across HIV, malaria, and TB programmes.

Iyanda noted that NASCP expects robust contributions during the technical sessions and believes the project will advance Nigeria’s efforts toward a sustainable and integrated health response.

Also speaking, Senior Programme Manager representing the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Dr. Ahmad Njidda, said private pharmacies and PPMVs remain the most accessible providers of malaria services nationwide. He stressed the urgent need to end presumptive treatment by ensuring access to quality rapid diagnostic tests.

Njidda said the Global Fund-supported project offers an opportunity to expand quality-assured malaria commodities within private channels and strengthen adherence to “test-before-treat” protocols.

Delivering goodwill remarks on behalf of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Pharm. Ene Daniel-Ebune said PCN remains committed to supporting regulatory frameworks that enable innovation in the private sector. She emphasized that properly regulated community pharmacies and PPMVs have proven capability to expand access to quality healthcare.

She added that PCN expects the project to support regulatory processes and reinforce pharmacy practice standards across states. According to her, stronger regulation will ensure sustainability and protection of public health.

President of the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), Sylvanus Onuoha, described the launch as a landmark step toward strengthening primary healthcare delivery. He said PPMVs are the first point of care for millions of Nigerians and are ready to support expanded HIV and malaria services.

Onuoha urged continued investment in training, upskilling, and licensing of PPMVs, saying a better-equipped PPMV workforce will significantly improve national health outcomes and strengthen community-level service delivery.

Executive Secretary of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Olufemi Akingbade, said the launch highlights the urgency of integrating private-sector contributions into national health planning. He noted that the private sector already bears heavy financial responsibility through out-of-pocket spending and must no longer operate in parallel to government systems.

Akingbade reaffirmed HFN’s commitment to mobilizing its 400 member organisations toward the success of the model. He praised SFH’s sector leadership and said collaboration remains essential to safeguarding public health gains in the face of donor decline.

State Secretary of the Lagos State Medicine Dealers Association (LSMDA), Hope Ezenwoke, welcomed the project and pledged the support of Lagos-based PPMVs. He said the association would work closely with SFH and national programmes to expand community access to quality diagnostics and treatment services.

Ezenwoke added that the model holds great promise for improving coverage in underserved communities, particularly where public health facilities are limited.

The workshop brought together national programme leaders, state officials, private-sector coalitions, PPMVs, community pharmacists, and development partners to co-create a functional structure for the Alternative Delivery Model. Over the next three days, stakeholders will design operational pathways, sustainability options, financial models, and regulatory mechanisms for the initiative.

The project is expected to play a central role in Nigeria’s long-term transition from donor-dependence to a more resilient, country-owned HIV and malaria response, with private-sector providers now positioned as critical frontline actors.

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