COVID-19 Response Mechanism Closes Out in Nigeria

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The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) will convene a national close-out meeting in Abuja on June 25 to reflect on the achievements, lessons learned, and lasting impact of the COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM) investments in Nigeria.

### COVID-19 Response Mechanism Investments in Nigeria

The Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism was established to support countries in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic while strengthening health systems and safeguarding progress against HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. In Nigeria, the investment supported a wide range of interventions to strengthen public health preparedness and response capacities, including improvements in disease surveillance, laboratory systems, infection prevention and control, oxygen infrastructure, cold-chain systems, healthcare workforce capacity, and emergency response mechanisms.

### Director-General Talks COVID-19 Readiness

The Director-General of NACA, Temitope Ilori, said, “We learned through COVID-19 that being prepared for one emergency isn’t just about that emergency, it’s about being prepared for any emergency. C19RM investments in emergency response mechanisms, supply chain resilience, and rapid deployment capacity are now embedded in our health systems planning and programming.”

### Close-Out Meeting to Showcase Key Achievements and Strategies for Sustainability

The close-out meeting will provide an opportunity to showcase key achievements recorded under the grant, examine lessons from implementation, highlight innovations and best practices, and discuss strategies for sustaining the gains made through the investment. The event will also feature presentations from implementing agencies and partners, stakeholder reflections, panel discussions, and the premiere of documentary and storytelling products developed to capture the human impact and legacy of the C19RM investment across Nigeria.

### COVID-19 Response Mechanism Strengthens Nigeria's Health System

Tajudeen Ibrahim, executive secretary, Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) Nigeria, said, “The C19RM grant demonstrated the power of effective partnership, positioning, coordination, engagement, oversight and country ownership in responding to a public health emergency. Beyond supporting Nigeria’s COVID-19 response, the investments have strengthened critical health systems and facilitated pandemic preparedness and response capacities that will continue to benefit the country for years to come. As we close this chapter, our focus must remain on sustaining these gains and leveraging the lessons learned to build a more resilient health system for all Nigerians.”

### COVID-19 Response Mechanism Closing: A Stronger Health System Ahead

The close-out meeting is expected to attract senior government officials, development partners, public health experts, implementing organisations, and representatives from communities that benefited from the intervention. Attendance at the C19RM Close-Out Meeting is by invitation only and will include representatives from government institutions, development partners, implementing organisations, civil society, academia, and other key stakeholders involved in implementing the C19RM grant.

### Key Facts

  • The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) will convene a national close-out meeting in Abuja on June 25.
  • The COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM) investments supported improvements in disease surveillance, laboratory systems, infection prevention and control, oxygen infrastructure, cold-chain systems, healthcare workforce capacity, and emergency response mechanisms.
  • The grant demonstrated the power of effective partnership, positioning, coordination, engagement, oversight, and country ownership in responding to a public health emergency.
  • The investments have strengthened critical health systems and facilitated pandemic preparedness and response capacities that will continue to benefit the country for years to come.
  • The close-out meeting will provide an opportunity to showcase key achievements recorded under the grant and discuss strategies for sustaining the gains made through the investment.

### Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on Nigeria’s health system, with significant disruptions to healthcare services, increased morbidity and mortality rates, and significant economic costs. The COVID-19 Response Mechanism investments were critical in strengthening Nigeria’s health system and facilitating pandemic preparedness and response capacities that will continue to benefit the country for years to come.