Why We Change to APIN Public Health Initiatives After 16 Years‎, Says Okonkwo

After 16 years of deliver‎ing a comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention and care, AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN) has rebranded and changed name to APIN Public Health Initiatives in order to meet more public health related needs.

The CEO of APIN, Dr. Prosper Okonkwo, while addressing journalists in Abuja revealed that the health institute decided to change its name to eliminate any perceived disadvantage that the former name placed on its ongoing diversification‎ efforts.

According to him, “APIN is one of the foremost organisations‎ in the provision of comprehensive HIV services in Nigeria. Since 2004, APIN has provided HIV/TB services to close to 200,000 people living with HIV in 10 states, namely Enugu, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Kaduna, Benue, Borno, Yobe, and Ebonyi.”

He added that, “as a result of strategic shift ‎by our major funders, the United States President’s Emergency Plans for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), we currently support the federal government to provide HIV services across all levels of healthcare in three states- Lagos, Oyo and Plateau.”

Okonkwo‎ also revealed that since becoming an indigenous PEPFAR partner in 2008, APIN has provided anti-retro viral  treatment for over 179,503 persons living with HIV.

He stated that APIN public health initiatives would now provide cutting edge, innovative and sustainable approaches to address other major areas of public health importance‎ such as tuberculosis, malaria, reproductive health, family planning, maternal, and child health through effective programme management, service delivery and capacity building.

“As a first step, we will be building on our widespread network of service providers, communities, researchers and persons living with HIV across the country and up the United States to contribute our quota to what the stakeholders are doing in TB control, ” Okonkwo noted.

He however stated categorically that currently they are well funded for the above mentioned activities ‎APIN engages in, but stressed that meaningful sustainable planning however dictates they embark on more diversification, so that any potential risks are well spread out through diverse port folios.

Okonkwo said that, “we aspire to do more in the areas ‎where obvious programming gas exist, and we hope to continue to strengthen our systems or meet the anticipated increased implementation going forward. “