Act | East Expands Support to Three Additional States in Nigeria

In 2024, USAID’s Act to End NTDs | East program expanded support in Nigeria to three additional states, Akwa Ibom, Niger, and Katsina, increasing the total number of states supported by the program to twelve. This support will allow the Federal Ministry of Health to fill priority treatment and survey gaps, with a focus on onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis.

“We are excited to extend our support of Nigeria’s goals to eliminate lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis in three additional states. This builds on many years of successful collaboration with the Government of Nigeria and partners and allows us to bring in new partnerships to support the elimination of NTDs in the country,“ said Scott McPherson, Senior Program Manager at RTI International on the Act to End NTDs | East program.

Nigeria has the highest NTD burden in Africa, with more than 200 million people at risk for at least one NTD. Since 2013, USAID has supported the Government of Nigeria to reach their NTD goals, with a focus on scaling up mass treatment, surveys to assess impact, and helping to strengthen the delivery of NTD services including coordination, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, and data management.

Nigeria has made tremendous progress to achieve elimination goals for LF, trachoma, and onchocerciasis, with more than 33 million people no longer at risk for one or more NTD. In 2023, Nigeria announced that it has achieved the criteria to stop treatment for onchocerciasis in four additional states representing more than 18.9 million people, representing the largest stop treatment decision globally to date.

Act | East activities in Nigeria are implemented by RTI International and The Carter Center. In Niger State, RTI is excited to announce that is it partnering with local NGO MITOSATH for the first time this year. USAID’s support through the Act to End NTDs | East program now includes 12 of Nigeria’s total 36 states (plus the Federal Capital Territory), including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Nasarawa, Niger, Katsina and Plateau States. Act | East is excited to expand its geographic footprint in Nigeria to support the country in its disease elimination goals.