Reflections from a Multistakeholder Dialogue
Nigeria’s HIV response is at a critical crossroads. Across the country, real people—women, men, young people, families, and communities—depend daily on prevention, treatment, care, and support services to survive and thrive. Yet growing uncertainty around global funding now threatens the gains made over decades.
Against this backdrop, a powerful multistakeholder dialogue supported by the World Council of Churches (WCC) convened voices from government, civil society, faith communities, and international organizations to reflect on sustainable pathways for the future of Nigeria’s HIV response.
The dialogue brought together representatives from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), the National AIDS and STDs Control Programme (NASCP), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW), faith leaders, civil society organizations, and community advocates—all united by a shared commitment to strengthening the HIV response in Nigeria.
The event opened with prayers led by both Muslim and Christian leaders, setting a powerful tone of unity and shared responsibility. This moment underscored the essential role faith communities play in promoting health, dignity, compassion, and inclusion—especially for those often left behind.
The Ethical and Justice Imperative of the HIV Response
In the opening session, WCC representative Gracia outlined the purpose of the dialogue, emphasizing the urgent need to:
• Deepen understanding of the current HIV funding crisis
• Facilitate theological reflection that frames HIV response as a moral and justice-based obligation
• Build stakeholder capacity for effective budget advocacy
• Increase literacy around HIV innovations, particularly Long-Acting Injectables (LAI)
• Co-develop strategies for domestic resource mobilization
One statement echoed throughout the meeting and captured the heart of the conversation:
“Science provides the medicine; faith provides the courage to ask.”
This message highlighted the powerful intersection of public health, human rights, and faith leadership in advancing equitable access to HIV services.
The Funding Crisis and Its Impact on Communities
Much of the dialogue focused on growing concern over disruptions to global HIV financing. Representatives from UNAIDS noted that Nigeria’s HIV response remains heavily dependent on external funding, particularly support from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Participants shared real-life impacts of reduced donor support and stop-work orders on community-level HIV programming:
• Community-led HIV initiatives that once saved lives are being scaled back
• Prevention programs have been significantly affected
• Fewer condoms are reaching communities that need them most
• Community service providers and mentor mothers are losing critical support
• In several areas, access to treatment, prevention, care, and support services has been disrupted
Behind each of these disruptions are people—mothers worried about their children, young people losing access to prevention tools, and persons living with HIV facing uncertainty about their care.
These realities underscore the urgent need for stronger domestic investments and sustainable HIV financing mechanisms.
The Role of Religious Organizations
Panel discussions highlighted the unique and indispensable role of faith-based organizations in bridging service gaps, especially in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
Participants acknowledged that faith communities:
• Have direct access to grassroots populations
• Shape social attitudes, values, and norms
• Play a critical role in reducing stigma and discrimination
• Promote HIV awareness, prevention, and treatment adherence
• Are powerful agents for community mobilization and accountability
Representatives from NACA reaffirmed the government’s commitment to engaging faith-based organizations in the National HIV Prevention Plan and broader HIV response efforts.
Towards a Sustainable HIV Response
The dialogue concluded with strong and collective calls for:
• Enhanced domestic resource mobilization
• Greater government ownership and leadership of HIV programming
• Meaningful engagement of community and faith actors in policy implementation
• Stronger advocacy for sustainable HIV financing
• Increased awareness and adoption of HIV innovations, including Long-Acting Injectables
The meeting served as a timely reminder that ending HIV will take more than medical interventions alone. It requires solidarity, accountability, community leadership, faith-driven compassion, and collective action.
As Nigeria navigates shifting global funding realities, strong partnerships between government, civil society, communities of people living with HIV, and faith-based institutions will remain essential to ensuring that no one is left behind.
—Building on the World Council of Churches multistakeholder dialogue, this reflection affirms a shared commitment to advancing a sustainable, inclusive, and justice-centered HIV response in Nigeria.
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