Solina Health facilitated the application and implementation of a Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant for the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). The grant was executed through Program for HIV/AIDS Integration and Decentralization (PHAID) to strengthen the Primary Health Care (PHC) system’s capacity to provide HIV/AIDS services through integration with other priority health interventions at the PHC level.

The specific goals of the program included the implementation of HIV/AIDS service packages within Primary Healthcare (PHCs), community systems strengthening to improve the ownership and uptake of PHC services, development of PHC staffing and retention strategies and policies, development and support of a PHC implementation science agenda for Nigeria, and support for institutional capacity of NPHCDA on program management.

As a technical partner on the project, we designed and developed the assessment tool for “PHC Integrated Service Delivery Capabilities”. We also trained the assessment team (NPHCDA, LGA M&E, IHVN staff) on the assessment tool. Additionally, we conducted a baseline assessment of two hundred and forty-nine (249) Primary Health Centers (PHCs) across the selected six high-prevalence states (Abia, Bayelsa, Benue, Kaduna, Lagos and Nasarawa) to determine capacity-building needs for optimal delivery of HIV/AIDS services. We also conducted capacity building for the different cadres of staff at PHCs and LGAs in eight states for the provision of good quality integrated HIV/AIDS services. Solina Health conducted a research study on the factors that affect the retention of healthcare workers at the PHC level to provide evidence-based initiatives and recommendations which would inform beneficial human resource policies in Nigeria.

Following the implementation, a total of one thousand three hundred and twenty-two (1,322) health workers which include Midwives, Nurses, CHEWS, Medical lab scientists/technologists/technicians, microbiologists, M&E officers and HODs of Health at the LGAs trained on the integrated service delivery package demonstrated adequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS and other basic health services at the PHCs as reflected in positive feedback from supportive supervision, monitoring and evaluation activities carried out at these facilities.