Dr. Gambo Aliyu Gumel: DG National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA)

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Dr. Gambo Aliyu Gumel from Jigawa State is a distinguished Abusite, world-class epidemiologist, and a Public Health specialist.

He studied Medicine at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, and graduated in 1995 with MBBS Hons. He has a Masters in Clinical Research from the University of Maryland in 2008 and obtained a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Maryland in 2012.

Dr. Gambo Aliyu Gumel is an associate professor at the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine. He has been vastly involved in HIV research and program evaluations to support decision making over the last 15 years,

Dr. Gambo Aliyu Gumel
Dr. Gambo Aliyu Gumel

They Include HIV Epidemiology, HIV-TB Epidemiology, Multi-drug resistant TB, HIV Surveillance, Malaria Surveillance, Prevention of HIV transmission in Key Population, ART Programme Evaluation, Evaluation of Vaccine Safety and C, and HIV research ethics.

Dr. Gambo Aliyu Gumel was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2019 as the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA). He succeeded another distinguished Abusite and renowned medical professional Dr. Sani Aliyu, whose tenure runs until July 2020 but resigned to pursue other aspirations.

ALSO READ: Dr Sani Aliyu – National Coordinator, Task Force for the Control of COVID–19

Before his appointment as DG NACA, Dr. Gambo Aliyu Gumel served as Country Director for the University of Maryland programs in Nigeria and Assistant Professor in Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

He was among the first Nigerians to receive in-depth training on establishing ARV-PMTCT centers of excellence from IHV UMB preparatory to the introduction of PEPFAR programs in 2003. 

In 2005 he co-pioneered mobile HIV testing service delivery to key affected populations in the process of implementing an HIV seroconversion study (REACH project) in Nigeria.

In 2017, he evaluated two national HIV treatment program strategies: Test and Start, and Community ART, critical to scale up of ARV treatment for achievement of sustainable HIV epidemic control in Nigeria. Lastly, he directed the nation-wide implementation of NAIIS, the world largest HIV population-based survey in Nigeria (NAIIS) which helped Nigeria to know the true epidemic and impact of HIV services delivered in the last 15 years of PEPFER intervention and the last mile for achieving epidemic  control.

Dr. Gambo Aliyu Gumel‘s Achievements

Dr. Gambo Aliyu Gumel, in an interview, gives a rundown of the current state of the national HIV/AIDS response. He also sheds light on the way forward in the drive towards HIV elimination by 2030.

He said: “In terms of the situation of the HIV/AIDS fight in Nigeria, we will say the situation is good at the moment. We never knew that in the last 15 years we have done so well in terms of fighting HIV in Nigeria until 2018 when we did the NAIIS survey.

“The survey revealed to us whatever strategy we have in place is working and has been very impactful, in the sense that it has reduced the prevalence from 4.4 percent to 1.4 percent. It was 4.4 percent in 2005 and 2018 it was 1.4 percent. And it has reduced the estimated number of people we think has HIV in Nigeria from 3.5 million in 2005 to 1.9 million in 2018. So 1.4 prevalence in 2018 and 1.9 million as the estimated number of people living with HIV is good

What is the way forward? He said, the NAIIS report shows that Nigeria has done well and can conveniently control HIV epidemic. And that is what himself, NACA and all the stakeholders are calling “the last mile push.”

“The last mile means we should push hard to control the HIV epidemic in Nigeria and that is exactly what we are doing at the moment. We are pushing hard to see that we fight stigma and discrimination. We are pushing hard to make HIV testing attractive, we are pushing hard for people to know the benefits of knowing their HIV status and taking action.” He said


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Chila Andrew Aondofa

Founder/Team lead at TheAbusite.com | Abusite | Entrepreneur | Activist | Humanitarian | All Inquiries to info@theabusites.com. SMS/WhatsApp +2349015751816

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