A Nigerian medical professional, Dr. Chinonso Egemba, popularly known as Aproko Doctor on social media, has raised concerns over the country’s healthcare system following the reported pause in the United States’ funding to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
In a post on Tuesday via X, he warned that Nigeria cannot continue to rely on donations for its healthcare needs.
With the pause in US foreign aid, he noted that Nigeria may witness a rise in HIV, tuberculosis and malaria infections.
“Now is the time to take our health system seriously. The second-best time was yesterday. Nigeria cannot continue to depend on donations for its own healthcare,” Egemba stated.
He highlighted the severe impact of the funding cut, particularly on people living with HIV in Nigeria.
“If you don’t treat HIV, almost everyone affected will develop AIDS,” he explained, stressing that antiretroviral drugs are crucial in suppressing the virus and preventing transmission.
Egemba noted that these drugs are largely donated due to their high cost, and with the withdrawal of PEPFAR funding, Nigeria faces a crisis.
“If Nigeria doesn’t rise to the occasion and take charge, infections will rise—currently close to 200,000 new infections every year. People will die from AIDS because drugs are not available,” he warned.
Beyond HIV, he added that the suspension of funding would also affect other diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, further straining the country’s already burdened healthcare system.
“Our already burdened healthcare system will be burdened further which might be make or break.
“These are just a snippet of the ripple effect. Let’s not forget that diseases like tuberculosis and malaria are being affected also by the pause of funding,” he said, urging authorities to take urgent steps to address the situation.
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