APIN Public Health Initiatives

APIN joins national partners to mark this year’s World AIDS Day with renewed commitment to sustaining Nigeria’s HIV response. To build the momentum towards #2025WorldAIDSDay, our Deputy CEO Programs, Dr Jay Osi Samuels, joined the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Temitope Ilori, on AIT’s Health Digest to share insights on overcoming disruptions and sustaining the HIV response . Represented by Dr Olujuwon Ibiloye, we also joined NACA and other stakeholders to engage adolescents and young people across the HIV and AIDS continuum. The conversations focused on testing, adherence, and the support young people need to prevent new HIV infections and adhere to treatment to achieve and sustain an undetectable status. Together with NACA, we remain committed to driving dialogue, strengthening collaboration, and moving Nigeria closer to an HIV-free generation. #APINInitiatives #ThisIsAPIN #WorldAIDSDay2025

We kicked off this year’s World AIDS Day Commemoration with a Press Conference hosted by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS. Our Deputy CEO, Dr. Jay Osi Samuels, reaffirmed APIN’s commitment to partnering with NACA and the Federal Government to sustain the country’s progress towards HIV epidemic control. The Director General, NACA, Dr TEMITOPE ILORI shared the 2025 theme, “Overcoming Disruptions: Sustaining Nigeria HIV Response”. She applauded the federal government for its responsiveness and commitment, and thanked APIN and other partners for their continued support in eradicating this scourge. She maintained that, despite the challenges and setbacks facing Nigeria’s HIV response, we had recorded significant successes deserving of celebration. She ended by encouraging all stakeholders not to rest on their oars and to keep pushing to overcome all disruptions in line with this year’s theme. #WorldAIDSDay2025 #APINInitiatives #ThisIsAPIN #WorkAtAPIN

What happens when a health facility gets new lab equipment or earns the internationally-acclaimed ISO 15189 accreditation? Or when health workers transition from paper-based inventory tools to managing health commodities using reliable electronic systems? These milestones matter because they strengthen entire health systems, not just individual programs. In the last 17 years, APIN has partnered with Federal and State Ministries of Health and key agencies in 28 of Nigeria's 36 states, supporting quality service delivery across diverse thematic areas, including nutrition, maternal and child health, HIV, tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases, and health financing. Our experience shows that progress is fastest when no one works in isolation. Collaborating with the government, partners, and even beneficiaries creates stronger systems, better outcomes, and more sustainable impact. This approach guided our recent Joint Supervisory Visit with the Benue State Ministry of Health, Benue State Agency for the Control of AIDS (BENSACA), Benue State Health Insurance Agency (BENSHIA) and other partners to 16 supported health facilities in Benue State. Led by the Hon. Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ejeh Ogwuche, the delegation assessed service delivery, integration of HIV services, data documentation, IPC practices, patient follow-up, health commodity supply chain performance, and equipment maintenance. Each facility received targeted feedback to guide improvement. The visit strengthened state ownership, encouraged peer learning, established baseline data for assessing progress, and reinforced the shared commitment to quality and equitable access to health services. APIN remains dedicated to working with government and partners to build resilient systems and ensure that every citizen can access effective, people-centred health services. #APINInitiatives #ThisIsAPIN #WorkAtAPIN #HealthSystemStrengthening

Happy International Men’s Day 2025: “Celebrating Men and Boys”   Today we celebrate our men… For the many roles that you play, father, brother, son, friend and mentor… For showing up, even when it’s hard. For your strength and resilience… For everything you do to protect, provide, and defend, even while fighting your own silent battles. We celebrate YOU. We see YOU.. And we see how you put your own needs last, especially your health. Men’s health is too often ignored and joked about, even by men themselves. But it’s nothing to play or be silent about. It’s serious. It’s important. It’s critical. So, in honour of our men, let’s do something fun AND meaningful. We challenge you to a MEN’S HEALTH WORD SEARCH!!!!! Hidden in this grid are 10 words describing some of the issues men face. You have to find them but to know what you’re looking for, you need to first answer the clue questions on the next slide!   Comment “DONE” once you have found all 10 words and let us know how challenging it was .   #APINInitiatives #ThisIsAPIN #WorkAtAPIN #InternationalMen’sDay2025 #APINHeroes 

Every year in Nigeria, over 774,100 babies are born premature. Premature babies are those born at less than 37 weeks of pregnancy. They are often small and unable to regulate their body temperature, which makes them more susceptible to infection and feeding difficulties. In 2017 alone, over 84,000 children under five died from direct preterm complications. APIN joined the NEST360 Alliance to change this reality. As part of the Alliance, we support health facilities by providing essential newborn care equipment, including incubators and by training healthcare workers to deliver high-quality, lifesaving care to babies who need it the most. We also build the capacities of frontline health workers in low-resource settings help mothers initiate evidence based solutions like Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), giving their babies a fighting chance and the hope of better outcomes. Being born early should not be a reason for a life to end. Together with the NEST360 Alliance, we are helping newborns across Nigeria survive, grow and thrive. #APINInitiatives #ThisIsAPIN #NEST360 #SavingNewbornLives #NeonatalCare #HealthSystemsStrengthening #ThisIsAPIN #SDG3 #WorldPrematurityDay

How much does it cost to keep Nigerians safe from infectious diseases? Reports estimate that nearly ₦15 billion goes into procuring test kits for just three conditions: HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis — and that’s before accounting for laboratory equipment, consumables, or health worker costs. Now imagine a single rapid test that can screen for all three at once, reducing costs, saving time, and reaching more people where they live. That is precisely the kind of smart, cost-effective innovation Nigeria needs to accelerate disease elimination and meet the World Health Organization’s 2030 targets. During a recent visit to APIN’s Abuja headquarters, the Abbott Diagnostics team led by Dr. Rabah Elmenshawy introduced the ANC Multiplex Care Panel, an innovative test kit that simultaneously screens for all three diseases. They also shared plans to establish a rapid diagnostic test kit production plant in Nigeria. This partnership aligns perfectly with APIN’s data-driven commitment to finding and implementing strategies that address multiple public health issues while maximizing the returns on health expenditure. It could transform access to quality diagnostic services in Nigeria and across the wider African region. With APIN’s strong network of supported health facilities and our focus on health systems strengthening, this partnership promises more affordable tests, shorter supply chains, and faster access to care for underserved communities nationwide. Our Deputy CEO (Programs), Dr. Jay Osi Samuels, Director of Laboratory & Health Systems Strengthening, Mr. Eke Ofuche, and the Laboratory Services team reaffirmed APIN’s commitment to partnering with Abbott to strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes by making high-quality, locally produced diagnostic tools accessible to millions of Nigerians. #APINInitiatives #ThisIsAPIN #WorkAtAPIN #ProgressivePartnerships #HealthInnovation #Diagnostics #HealthcareAccess #PublicHealth #HealthSystemsStrengthening

“The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm.” – Florence Nightingale (1863)   These timeless words remind us that patients who come to hospitals for healing should never leave with new infections, known as Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs), acquired from the healthcare environment.   According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HAIs affect 7–10% of hospitalized patients globally which poses a major public health concern that can occur even after the patient has been discharged.   The key to preventing the spread of HAIs lies in strong Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices and in line with this, APIN in partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), is extending IPC capacity building to the military health system through collaboration with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) and the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme (MODHIP).   The week-long training with participants from 22 military hospitals across 17 states emphasized hand hygiene practices as a key measure to curb infections such as, Urinary Tract Infections that are a result of the use of a urinary catheter, infections that occur at the site of a surgical incision and bloodstream infections that occur in patients with a central line.   Through these collaborative efforts, APIN continues promote a culture of patient safety in military health facilities and protect both patients and healthcare workers from avoidable harm! #APINInitiatives #ThisIsAPIN #WorkAtAPIN #SaferHealthEnvironment

Poverty and poor health are deeply connected; one fuels the other in a vicious, relentless cycle.   When families lack access to clean water, nutritious food, safe housing or quality healthcare, they become more susceptible to illness. Each episode of illness, in turn, drives them deeper into poverty, generation after generation.   The World Health Organization identifies HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria as the top three “diseases of poverty”, a term that represents a range of infectious and non-communicable diseases that disproportionately affect impoverished, low-income people due to poverty-induced lifestyle factors. Poverty increases the risk of developing these diseases and hinders their treatment, creating a cycle where disease leads to more poverty and the loss of millions of lives annually.   As an organisation, we have witnessed this “health-poverty trap” firsthand. For nearly 25 years, APIN has worked to break this cycle and improve health and development outcomes across Nigeria by leveraging Private-Public sector Partnership and delivering multi-pronged interventions that integrate healthcare, education and economic empowerment.   Recently, our Deputy CEO (Programs), Dr. Jay Osi Samuels, and members of our leadership team met with Hon. Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, to explore collaborative opportunities on community-based humanitarian programs aimed at alleviating poverty, improving health outcomes, and enhancing quality of life for vulnerable households nationwide. A gynaecologist by training, the Honourable Minister for State spoke passionately about the intersection of poverty and health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and expressed keen interest in partnering with APIN to address these shared challenges.   When the public and private sectors come together, lasting change becomes possible. This collaboration marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our shared mission to improve health and change lives.   #APINInitiatives #ThisIsAPIN #WorkAtAPIN #PublicPrivatePartnership #PartnershipsThatWork #PublicHealth #Nigeria #GlobalHealth #HealthForAll #DiseasesofPoverty

Misinformation is more than just fake information or getting the facts wrong. It can undo years of hard-won public health progress and, in some cases, cost lives. At a recent APIN outreach in a busy motor park, Tolu, a long-distance driver, decided to take a free HIV test. When his result came back positive, our community testers immediately linked him to the nearest health facility. There, health workers confirmed his diagnosis, started him on treatment, counselled him on adherence and lifestyle changes, and provided educational materials to help him understand his new status. They also encouraged him to share his status with his wife, Joke, so she could get tested as well. But that was when things took a heartbreaking turn. Shocked and afraid, Joke called her mother for advice. Her mother, drawing from misinformation she had “heard” over the years, insisted that Tolu’s diagnosis was a death sentence and urged her daughter to leave him immediately. Despite Tolu’s efforts to explain what he had learned from the health workers, Joke packed her bags the next day and left their home with their two children, convinced that staying would endanger their lives. This painful story shows how deeply misinformation can wound. It turns progress into fear and undermines the trust on which healthcare depends. At APIN, we know that access to accurate health information is just as critical as access to treatment. Through our community education programs, outreaches, and partnerships with trusted grassroots organisations and leaders of local traditional and religious institutions, we are bridging knowledge gaps and promoting facts that save lives. On this World Development Information Day, let’s recommit to fighting misinformation wherever it appears. Share only verified facts. Support awareness campaigns. Help make accurate information accessible to all. #APINInitiatives #ThisIsAPIN #WorldDevelopmentInformationDay #PublicHealth #HealthForAll #HealthEducation #SocialImpact

Access to care shouldn’t be complicated, and at APIN, we’re proving it doesn’t have to be. Our Community Pharmacy ART Refill (CPART) Programme was designed to make HIV care convenient, confidential, and patient-centred. Through this model, stable clients across our project states can pick up their HIV medications from pharmacies close to where they live or work, instead of travelling long distances or waiting hours at health facilities every month. In Benue State, APIN’s CPART Programme boasts 27 community pharmacies across Makurdi, Gboko, and Otukpo, helping clients access 24/7 ART refills while saving time, reducing transportation costs, and maintaining strong linkages with their primary health facilities. To further ensure seamless integration of care for our clients between community pharmacies and facilities, we equipped community pharmacists with digital tablets to enable real-time transmission of patient refill data. Since 2018, over 3,852 PLHIV have benefited from the CPART Programme, which has now been expanded to include the delivery of Tuberculosis Preventive Therapy (TPT), bringing even more vital services closer to people living with HIV, while ensuring the highest standards of privacy and confidentiality. At APIN, we believe that making it easier for PLHIV to access HIV services increases their likelihood of adhering to treatment and improves their chances of achieving viral suppression. This strengthens our conviction that when patients are placed at the heart of care, treatment outcomes improve and communities flourish. How else can we make healthcare more accessible in our communities? Let us know in the comments. #APINInitiatives #ThisIsAPIN #WorkAtAPIN #PublicHealth #PatientCenteredCare #HealthForAll