A Nigerian medical professional, Dr. Chinonso Egemba, widely known as Aproko Doctor on social media, has raised alarm over the state of the country’s healthcare system following the reported suspension of US funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
In a post on X on Tuesday, Egemba warned that Nigeria’s continued reliance on foreign aid for healthcare is unsustainable and could have dire consequences.
“Now is the time to take our health system seriously. The second-best time was yesterday. Nigeria cannot continue to depend on donations for its own healthcare,” he stated.
He expressed concern that the withdrawal of US aid could lead to an increase in HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria cases across the country.
“If you don’t treat HIV, almost everyone affected will develop AIDS,” he explained, emphasizing the critical role of antiretroviral drugs in controlling the virus and preventing transmission.
Egemba pointed out that these medications are largely donated due to their high cost, warning that without PEPFAR funding, Nigeria could face a major health crisis.
“If Nigeria doesn’t rise to the occasion and take charge, infections will rise—currently close to 200,000 new infections every year. People will die from AIDS because drugs are not available,” he cautioned.
Beyond HIV treatment, he highlighted that the funding suspension would also impact efforts to combat tuberculosis and malaria, placing further strain on the country’s already fragile healthcare system.
“Our already burdened healthcare system will be burdened further, which might be make or break.
“These are just a snippet of the ripple effect. Let’s not forget that diseases like tuberculosis and malaria are being affected also by the pause of funding,” he added, urging authorities to take urgent action to prevent a worsening health crisis.
