The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RVCHPP), Dr. Vetty Agala, has emphasized the need for multi-level advocacy to generate and sustain funding for critical health interventions, including malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis programmes.
Dr. Agala made this known on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, while receiving stakeholders from various health intervention programmes during an advocacy visit to her office. She urged partners to ensure the continuity of their interventions despite the gradual withdrawal of funding support from the United States Government and other international donors.
According to her, one sustainable approach to maintaining funding is the integration of health intervention programmes into Annual Operational Plans (AOPs) at different tiers of government to secure budgetary allocations.
Dr. Agala disclosed that RVCHPP has enrolled over 1,500 persons living with HIV/AIDS across the state into its health insurance scheme. She called on the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) to identify health facilities across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state where more persons living with HIV can be enrolled to access specialized care.
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She further reaffirmed the commitment of the Rivers State Government under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to improving healthcare delivery through its “Health for All Rivers” vision.
Earlier in his remarks, the Global Fund Lead, Dr. Chukwura Anyaike, said the team was on an entry and advocacy visit to brainstorm on strategies for sustaining funding for health interventions following the reduction in donor support.
He noted that their goal is to ensure that programmes which have significantly benefited residents of the state continue through increased state budgetary allocations, expanded health insurance coverage, and other domestic resource mobilization efforts.
Representatives of the State AIDS/STI Control Programme (SASCP), the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), IHVN, and the Global Fund were also present at the meeting.
