A Military Collaboration for HIV/AIDS Prevention

Last week (June 19-21) the U.S Public Health Service Scientific and Training Symposium was held at the University of Maryland, College Park campus.

While many of the Symposium activities focused on domestic health issues, one session highlighted an important partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Nigerian Ministry of Defense. Carla Bozzolo, an MPH candidate in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, was at the session and has this report on the proceedings.

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Strengthening Health Systems through the Nigerian Ministry of Defense—U.S. DoD Walter Reed Program Nigeria Partnership

by Carla Bozzolo

On Wednesday, June 20th, Major General Tahir Umar and Colonel Nelson Michael spoke about the strengths and importance of the partnership between U.S. DoD and the Nigerian Ministry of Defense in implementing and sustaining an HIV/AIDS prevention program for Nigerian soldiers and civilians.

The program was developed because of the high HIV/AIDS burden in Nigeria (it has the 2nd largest AIDS burden as of 2010). Cost implications of managing HIV/AIDS care in developing countries were too high, beyond the reach of the average Nigerian soldier (less than half of Nigerians were receiving the treatment they needed). An intervention program in the armed forces to accompany prevention activities was identified as an appropriate strategy.

The program provides preventive, treatment, care, and support for the armed forces in Nigeria, their dependents, civilian personnel of the Ministry of Defense and other civilians who wish to access the facilities.

The partnership with U.S. DoD has allowed the Nigerian Ministry of Defense to create 21 facilities country-wide providing comprehensive care, training and retraining of health care workers, as well as engagement in clinical operational research. Counseling is free, necessary drugs are free, and over 85% of the civilian population in Nigeria has participated in the program since it began!

The facilities have been so successful that they have been used for other health programs, such as anti-malaria programs, as well as providing the infrastructure for surveillance research to continuously provide insight into improving the health of Nigerian soldiers and civilians.

 

UPDATE: We just got our hands on Colonel Nelson Michael’s presentation from the Symposium. It goes into greater detail about the HIV vaccine and the partnerships’ efforts to prepare Nigeria for vaccine studies. You can download it here.

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For more information on Department of Defense HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Nigeria, visit http://www.dhapp.org/subPage.php?sp=60.

For more information on the U.S Public Health Service Scientific and Training Symposium (including presentations from this year’s sessions), visit http://www.phscofevents.org