Nigerian Doctor Raises Alarm Over Healthcare Crisis as U.S. Pauses PEPFAR Funding
A Nigerian medical professional, Dr. Chinonso Egemba, widely known as Aproko Doctor on social media, has expressed deep concern over the state of Nigeria’s healthcare system following the reported suspension of U.S. funding to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Report gathered by YEPS News indicates that in a post on Tuesday via X, Egemba warned that Nigeria cannot afford to rely on foreign donations for its healthcare needs.
With the pause in U.S. aid, he cautioned that Nigeria may experience a surge in HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria infections.
“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,” Egemba stated.
He further emphasized the severe consequences of the funding cut, particularly for individuals living with HIV in Nigeria.
“If you don’t treat HIV, almost everyone affected will develop AIDS,” he explained, underscoring the importance of antiretroviral drugs in suppressing the virus and preventing transmission.
Egemba pointed out that these life-saving medications are primarily donated due to their high cost, and with the withdrawal of 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 warned.
Beyond HIV, he noted that the suspension of funding would also have a ripple effect on other diseases, such as tuberculosis and malaria, further straining Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system.
“Our already burdened healthcare system will be stretched even further, which might be a tipping point,” he cautioned.
YEPS News also gathered that Egemba urged authorities to take urgent and decisive action to prevent an impending healthcare disaster, stressing that the country must prioritize self-sufficiency in its health sector.