RTSL: Nigeria

Resolve to Save Lives works closely with the Government of Nigeria and other partners at national and subnational levels to end preventable deaths from cardiovascular diseases and infectious disease outbreaks.

Cardiovascular Health:

We work with the Nigerian Government to reduce cardiovascular diseases in line with the country’s National Multi-sectoral Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (2019–2025). In 2020, we launched the Nigerian Hypertension Control Initiative (NHCI) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOH&SW), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), World Health Organization (WHO), and the Kano and Ogun State Governments. NHCI uses the WHO HEARTS technical package to strengthen the detection, treatment, and control of high blood pressure in primary care.

We promote heart-healthy nutrition in Nigeria by supporting government efforts to create a healthier food supply by reducing risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as salt. Along with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), WHO and other partners, we supported the development and passage of a best-practice trans fat elimination policy in 2023 and continue to support its implementation, strengthening national laboratory capacity for trans fat analysis.

Prevent Epidemics:

We collaborate with Nigeria’s national and subnational governments to strengthen health security capacities and prevent deaths from infectious disease outbreaks. RTSL has supported the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) since the country’s first Joint External Evaluation (JEE) in 2017.

We provide flexible funding, strategic implementation, and capacity-building support to enhance the country’s capacity to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. Our key focus areas include Legal Preparedness and Advocacy, Surveillance and Epidemiology, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Public Health Laboratory Systems, and Health Security Financing and Primary Health Care Systems.

Since 2021, we have supported the NCDC in operationalizing its Engagement Strategy for Strengthening Health Security in States through the Subnational Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacity Building (SERCB) Project. This initiative has achieved significant milestones, including facilitating more than a dozen JEEs at the state level, completing health security legal assessments in more than 20 states, and enabling three states to establish improved legal and institutional frameworks to drive subnational IHR improvements.