The federal government has said it will prioritise sustaining key improvements made to Nigeria’s health system during the COVID-19 pandemic as the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM) intervention comes to an end.
Officials said the focus will now shift from emergency response to institutionalising gains made in disease surveillance, laboratory services, oxygen infrastructure, infection prevention and control, and emergency preparedness to strengthen the country’s ability to respond to future health threats.
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The commitment was made on Thursday at the close-out meeting of the C19RM grant in Abuja, themed “C19RM Grant: Celebrating Results, Capturing Lessons and Shaping the Future”.
The event brought together government officials, development partners and health stakeholders who reviewed the programme’s achievements and discussed strategies for preserving its impact beyond donor funding.
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Speaking at the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in health systems worldwide and reinforced the need for countries to invest in long-term resilience rather than short-term emergency measures.
Mr Pate, who was represented by the Director of Hospital Services at the ministry, Vivian Okafor, said the COVID-19 pandemic challenged health systems across the world and “reminded us that health security is not separate from national security, economic resilience, or sustainable development.”
For Nigeria, he said, the C19RM grant served not only as an emergency intervention but also as a strategic opportunity to strengthen critical components of the health system while ensuring continuity of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria services during a period of unprecedented disruption.
Beyond COVID-19
Launched by the Global Fund during the pandemic, the C19RM grant was designed to help countries mitigate the impact of COVID-19 while protecting essential health services and strengthening preparedness for future outbreaks.
According to Mr Pate, the intervention enabled Nigeria to improve surveillance systems and laboratory networks, expand oxygen infrastructure, strengthen supply chains and logistics systems, and support digital and community-based approaches to healthcare delivery.
He said these investments have continued to benefit the health sector beyond the pandemic, contributing to stronger institutions, improved governance and a more prepared health workforce.
Mr Pate said one of the key lessons from the intervention is that emergency health funding should produce lasting improvements rather than temporary solutions.
He noted that the programme’s impact should be measured not only by the equipment acquired or activities implemented, but also by its contribution to stronger institutions, improved governance, a more skilled health workforce, better preparedness for future emergencies and stronger partnerships across the health sector.
Sustaining the gains
With donor support under the programme ending, discussions at the meeting largely centred on how to maintain and finance the systems established through the intervention.
Mr Pate said the government was working to integrate the structures created under the grant into routine health services and strengthen domestic financing mechanisms to support their long-term operation.
He cited ongoing reforms under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) and investments through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) as part of efforts to ensure sustainability.
“The systems established through C19RM must be integrated into routine government structures, supported through sustainable financing mechanisms, and managed through accountable institutions,” he said.
He added that sustaining the gains would require commitment from federal and state governments, implementing agencies, development partners and local communities.
Lessons for the future
Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Temitope Ilori, described the close-out meeting as an opportunity to assess the programme’s impact and identify lessons for future public health emergencies.
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She said the grant provided critical support to Nigeria at a time when the pandemic placed enormous pressure on health systems around the world.
Ms Ilori noted that investments made under the intervention strengthened surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, oxygen infrastructure, infection prevention and control measures, supply chains, community engagement and emergency preparedness.
Beyond the infrastructure and equipment, she said the programme also demonstrated the value of collaboration among government institutions, development partners, implementing agencies, healthcare workers and communities.
“As we review the programme’s achievements today, we must also focus on sustainability”.
“The true value of these investments will be measured by how effectively they are integrated into routine systems, maintained over time and leveraged to improve health outcomes for Nigerians,” she said.
She thanked the Global Fund and implementing partners for their support and urged stakeholders to build on the lessons from the programme as Nigeria prepares for future disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
Background
The C19RM is a special funding initiative established in 2020 to help countries respond to the pandemic, protect HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programmes, and strengthen health systems.
In Nigeria, the intervention supported investments in disease surveillance, laboratory systems, oxygen infrastructure, infection prevention and control, healthcare workforce capacity and emergency response mechanisms.
