Cross River State is intensifying efforts to build a more sustainable health system, with a recent stakeholders’ meeting focusing on HIV governance, financing, service integration and the management of health commodities.

The strategic engagement was organised by the Federal Ministry of Health through the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP) and the National Sustainability and HIV Impact Project (N-SHIP). It was held on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at the Cross River State Ministry of Health in Calabar.

Participants included the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Nursing, Dr. Coco Bassey; directors and heads of departments within the Ministry of Health; and representatives of relevant health programmes and development partners.

Discussions centred on increasing state ownership of HIV interventions, strengthening health financing, integrating healthcare services and reforming supply-chain systems. The objective was to improve the efficiency and sustainability of access to essential health services and commodities across communities.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, told participants that sustained partnerships and strategic mobilisation of resources were essential to achieving lasting improvements in health outcomes in Cross River State.

He said sustainability should not be viewed as an end to partnerships. Rather, he explained, it should involve the government’s capacity to effectively mobilise and use international, national and local resources to reinforce health interventions and develop resilient systems.

“Partnership is a gift and a necessity, not just locally, but globally,” the Commissioner said, noting that successful health interventions require collaboration among government, development partners and communities.

Ayuk further advocated greater integration of HIV services into existing health platforms. He pointed to Cross River State’s high immunisation coverage as an example of an established platform that could be leveraged to support wider disease-control interventions.

The Commissioner also underscored the role of communities in HIV prevention and control, particularly as Cross River State and its partners pursue disease-elimination targets by 2030. He urged stakeholders to move preventive interventions closer to residents and ensure that programmes reflect the needs of the communities they are designed to serve.

Speaking on the transition towards stronger state ownership of health programmes, N-SHIP Project Director, Dr. Okundili Chukwudima, identified service integration, sustainable financing and efficient supply-chain management as key foundations for a resilient healthcare system.

“When you integrate services, you will be able to manage every person completely and holistically,” Chukwudima said.

He stressed that people living with HIV should be enrolled in health insurance schemes to support long-term financial sustainability and reduce reliance on interventions funded externally.

According to Chukwudima, Nigeria and the United States Government have a five-year framework agreement covering the period from October 2026 to 2030. Under the arrangement, financial responsibility is expected to shift gradually, with Nigeria increasing its contribution significantly by the fifth year.

He said the transition presents an opportunity to strengthen domestic ownership while directing public health investments towards local healthcare infrastructure and patient care.

Chukwudima also drew attention to persistent challenges affecting the distribution of medicines and other health commodities. He called for digital solutions, including electronic reporting and inventory-tracking systems, to address these bottlenecks.

According to him, such systems would provide greater visibility throughout the supply chain and help improve the movement of essential commodities to zonal and primary healthcare facilities.

He also urged ministries, programme managers and development partners to strengthen coordination. Expanded health insurance coverage, effective collaboration and more efficient commodity logistics, he noted, would be important to maintaining health interventions across all 18 local government areas of Cross River State.

The engagement concluded with a roadmap for state-led implementation of the strategies agreed upon during the meeting. The outcome reaffirmed the commitment of the Cross River State Ministry of Health and its partners to developing a sustainable, integrated and resilient health system capable of delivering improved health outcomes for Cross Riverians.

Source: crossriverstate.gov.ng