The Civil Society for HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN) has welcomed the adoption of the 2026 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS, describing it as a renewed global commitment to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Executive Secretary, Hamza Aliyu, the organisation said the declaration, adopted at the 2026 United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, provides a critical roadmap for sustaining progress in the global HIV response over the next five years.
CiSHAN noted that the declaration comes at a time when HIV programmes worldwide are facing mounting challenges, including declining international funding, competing national priorities, and concerns over human rights, equity, and access to healthcare services.
According to the organisation, the strong support demonstrated by UN Member States shows that ending AIDS remains achievable if governments, communities, civil society organisations, development partners, and affected populations work together with commitment and urgency.
The group highlighted the significant role communities have continued to play in Nigeria’s HIV response, stressing that community-based organisations, networks of people living with HIV, youth groups, women-led organisations, faith-based groups, and grassroots civil society actors have remained at the forefront of efforts to reach vulnerable populations.
CiSHAN said these groups provide critical services, including HIV testing, treatment literacy, adherence counselling, stigma reduction, tuberculosis and HIV referrals, community-led monitoring, advocacy, and accountability initiatives.
The organisation emphasized that community actors should not be viewed merely as beneficiaries of programmes but as trusted partners, service providers, advocates, and monitors whose contributions are vital to reaching people often excluded from healthcare services, including adolescents, women and girls, key populations, persons with disabilities, and rural communities.
While acknowledging the support Nigeria continues to receive from international development partners, CiSHAN called on both the Federal Government and state governments to increase domestic investment in HIV, tuberculosis, and community health systems.
The organisation argued that international assistance should complement national efforts rather than replace government responsibility, urging authorities to demonstrate stronger ownership of the HIV response through increased budgetary allocations, timely release of funds, expanded health insurance coverage for people living with HIV, social contracting with community organisations, and sustainable financing for prevention, treatment, care, and support services.
CiSHAN also linked the new declaration to Nigeria’s ongoing Global Fund Grant Cycle 8 process and broader sustainability discussions, saying it reinforces the need to strengthen community systems, promote human rights and gender equality, reduce stigma, integrate HIV and TB services, ensure access to medicines and commodities, and guarantee meaningful participation of civil society and affected communities in decision-making processes.
The organisation further appealed to the international community, including multilateral agencies, bilateral donors, philanthropic organisations, and technical partners, to maintain support for Nigeria and other high-burden countries as they work toward greater domestic financing of health programmes.
According to CiSHAN, financing transitions must be carefully managed to strengthen national systems and protect vulnerable populations from service disruptions.
Reaffirming its commitment as Nigeria’s national coordinating platform for civil society organisations working on HIV and AIDS, CiSHAN pledged to continue mobilising communities, promoting treatment literacy, supporting advocacy efforts, and protecting the rights and dignity of people affected by HIV.
The organisation maintained that Nigeria can achieve the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 but stressed that success will depend on strong political leadership, increased domestic funding, sustained international cooperation, and continued community engagement.
