Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has inaugurated a technical team in Anambra State to conduct an Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey (IBBSS), aimed at strengthening HIV/AIDS prevention efforts and advancing epidemic control in the state.
The inauguration took place at the 2026 IBBSS state entry meeting held at the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) in Awka, the state capital.
Speaking on behalf of the Director-General of NACA, Tope Ilori, Principal Programme Officer Mrs. Joy Egwuonwu charged the technical team to identify people living with HIV, ensure their access to antiretroviral therapy, and improve viral suppression outcomes across the state.
Ilori described the IBBSS as a nationally coordinated survey designed to strengthen HIV prevention and control strategies. She noted that only 12 states are currently included in the exercise, with Anambra recently incorporated following renewed public health efforts.
She commended Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo for appointing Dr. Hilary Okeke, describing him as a “young, vibrant and competent public health expert” to lead ANSACA. She added that improved coordination had made Anambra’s inclusion in the programme possible, while acknowledging gaps in the state’s existing HIV data and expressing optimism about improved outcomes.
Leading the state response, ANSACA’s Executive Director and Programme Manager, Hilary Okeke, said the survey would focus on key populations, including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs.
Okeke said the state government had provided an enabling environment to reduce HIV prevalence and strengthen prevention efforts, adding that the technical team would begin implementing strategies and operational plans for the survey rollout.
Presenting a technical overview, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the West Africa Centre for Public Health and Development, Mr. Chukwuebuka Ejekam, said the IBBSS is part of a national effort to achieve HIV epidemic control in Nigeria by 2030.
He explained that the World Health Organization-recommended survey is conducted every three to five years and focuses on generating data from key populations to guide targeted interventions.
Ejekam said the implementing partners would work with the state government to provide updated programme intelligence and evidence to ensure that HIV response strategies are data-driven and more effective.
