January 2001 - June 2002 (Updated May 2002)

NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Presidential Sanction: President Olusegun Obasanjo has sanctioned the Initiative; APIN will work closely with his office on government mandates and support.

Determine in close consultation with Nigerian Advisory Council, the states APIN will be working in and secure support of state governors.	Completed — Plateau, Oyo, and Lagos States
President Obasanjo will deliver two communications on HIV/AIDS prevention to a national audience.	President Obasanjo hosts first OAU summit on AIDS in April 2001 President Obasanjo hosts a Saturday forum on AIDS in November 2001 and March 2002

Project Liaison Office: APIN will establish Project Liaison Office which will include management accounting and overall project administration. In addition, an independent accounting firm will audit grant expenditures.

Project Liaison Office will be in place; Dr. Wole Odutolu named as Project Manager.

Completed — September 2001

Nigerian Advisory Council: APIN will bring together Council members, including representatives from Nigeria's Ministry of Health and National Action Committee on AIDS, hospitals, major international and Nigerian corporations, and important non-governmental organizations working on HIV/AIDS.  APIN will work with group to develop and implement Initiative plan of action, focusing on policy, public education, and interventions in three chosen sites.

Three Council meetings will have been held to design strategic action plans for intervention programs.	Completed — September 2001
APIN will formally submit intervention plan of action to President and Ministry of Health.	Completed — April 2001

Media Messages: APIN will release media messages to educate public about (1) burden of HIV/AIDS in the country (see HIV/AIDS Intervention Programs below), and (2) prevention measures, particularly for high-risk groups.

Messages will be broadcast via media including radio, television, newspapers, public announcements at marketplaces and truck depots, as well as, to the extent possible, through participation of well-known entertainment figures.

Lagos State HIV/AIDS Foundation - major ongoing program Several World AIDS Day events organized in Lagos, Oyo and Plateau States.

Training Symposia and Briefings: With Nigerian Advisory Council, APIN will organize training symposia and briefings for key government agencies and broaden its reach in Nigeria's policy and health care communities by inviting representatives from five government-sponsored university Centers of Excellence. Through symposia, APIN will participate with Council and agencies in evaluating existing health systems and creating new HIV/AIDS policies and programs.  Training workshops will support the surveillance and intervention programs.

Four training symposia and briefings will have been completed.

April 2001 – HIV Test and Surveillance Workshop, Dakar, Senegal July 2001 – Minister of Health 2001 Sentinel Survey of HIV/AIDS Training workshop August 2001 – Sentinel Survey Quality Control Training Workshop November 2001 – Sentinel Survey Molecular Virology Training Workshop December 2001 – Ethical Issues in Health Research Workshop March 2002 – STD Management March 2002 – Anti-Retroviral Therapy

HIV/AIDS INTERVENTION PROGRAMS

APIN will implement treatment and prevention interventions, and gather epidemiological information on high-risk populations and evidence for principal means of transmission (data invaluable in public education efforts as well as in prevention strategies and preparation for vaccine trials).

Identification of High-Risk Populations: As APIN identifies high-risk groups in Nigeria and begin screening and data collection, APIN will also work with Nigerian colleagues to be sure that seroprevalence assays in the country are standardized so that information collected is of the highest possible accuracy.  APIN will also upgrade facilities in STD laboratories in chosen states, and reinforce information accuracy by undertaking simultaneous data recording in Nigeria and in U.S. to ensure that no data are lost.

Work with the Ministry of Health, hospitals, clinics, blood centers, and non-governmental organizations to identify high-risk populations and share findings with Nigerian Advisory Council.

Ongoing in Jos and Ibadan with University and State hospitals.  Collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health in 2001 Sentinel Surveillance programs.

STD Treatment: APIN will identify commercial sex workers, provide STD treatment, and determine the impact of prevention on HIV spread.

Concurrent with Advisory Council meetings, real-time surveillance information will be provided to Advisory Council and government for dissemination - providing data on numbers of these workers as well as on status of epidemic in this group.

Ongoing in Jos and Ibadan in various high risk group populations. Upgrade of STD laboratories at JUTH and UCH Ibadan – with lab support to PHC clinics.

Prevention of Perinatal Transmission: APIN will provide screening for pregnant women and develop the necessary infrastructure and capacity for future antiretroviral treatment interventions. Again, findings on levels of infection among these women and on the strains of HIV identified will be provided to Ministry of Health and will inform public education efforts.

APIN will establish a screening program for pregnant women and help establish the capacity for future antiretroviral intervention for maternal-fetal transmission.

Ongoing in Jos and Ibadan

TRAINING

Training: APIN will begin training for Nigerian scientists, recruit two doctoral level students and two post-doctoral students to build Nigeria's epidemiological and laboratory capacities for screening populations, analyzing HIV strains, and developing national HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment strategies.  One post-doctoral student selected will receive training in policy, finance, and communication provided jointly by Harvard School of Public Health with Center for International Development at the Kennedy School of Government.

APIN will recruit two doctoral level students and two post-doctoral students for training.

5 students selected and welcomed at Harvard University