In 2017, the CDC awarded Caritas Nigeria a 5-year comprehensive HIV prevention, care, and treatment project – 4GATES (Global Action Towards Epidemic Control in Subnational units in Nigeria) – for implementation in Abia, Delta, Enugu, and Imo states.
By the end of the project in September 2022, Caritas Nigeria closed out her 4GATES project in Delta state and handed over the state’s HIV programming to a new implementing partner. The transition also heralded the start of another 5-year CDC-funded HIV project.
The close-out and handover event was witnessed by the State Government representatives led by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, and the leadership of the Delta State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Delta State Primary Health Care Development Agency, the State Ministry of Women Affairs and community-based organizations. The event was also graced by the Catholic Bishop of Issele-Uku Diocese, Most Rev. Michael Elue, who was represented by the Coordinator of the diocesan JDPC, Rev. Fr. JohnBosco Ezeonwumelu.
Some strategies that amplified the 4GATES project in the state were our partnership with local community structures in hard-to-reach areas and among special groups to deliver HIV treatment services, targeted approach to HIV testing services including index testing, differentiated service delivery models for drug refills & viral load sample collection, and granular use of data for program implementation. Overall, we supported 56 health facilities and 17 community-based organisations (CBOs) in the state.