By Obianuju Isima
As the world commemorates World Humanitarian Day 2026, the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) has reaffirmed that compassion, dignity, inclusion and equitable access to healthcare must remain at the heart of the HIV response.
For ANSACA, humanitarian action goes beyond providing services. It means ensuring that no person is denied prevention, testing, treatment or care because of gender, social status, stigma, economic circumstances or vulnerability.
This principle continues to shape the agency’s gender-responsive approach to HIV programming, recognising that women, men, young people and vulnerable populations experience different risks and barriers to accessing HIV services and therefore require responsive and inclusive interventions.
ANSACA particularly commends the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, for providing the leadership and enabling environment necessary to strengthen and sustain Anambra State’s HIV response.
A major milestone under the administration is the ANSACA State Strategic Transformation and Sustainability Plan (SSTSP) 2026–2028, which provides a framework for strengthening prevention, treatment, community systems, data, partnerships, sustainability and the protection of vulnerable populations.
The State’s humanitarian approach to healthcare is also reflected in the enrolment of 10,384 people living with HIV into the Anambra State Health Insurance Scheme as of July 2026, helping to improve access to broader healthcare services and reduce financial barriers to care.
Complementing these efforts is the Healthy Living HIV Control Initiative, championed by the Wife of the Governor, Dr. Mrs. Nonye Soludo, with 42 coordinators across the 21 Local Government Areas(LGA) supporting grassroots HIV awareness, prevention and community mobilisation towards the goal of zero new HIV infections by 2030.
Through expanded community outreaches, HIV testing, surveillance, prevention education and partnerships with healthcare workers, community volunteers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, ANSACA continues to take services closer to the people, particularly those who may otherwise be left behind.
On this World Humanitarian Day, ANSACA salutes Governor Soludo for his commitment to strengthening healthcare and protecting vulnerable populations across Anambra State. The agency equally appreciates Dr. Mrs. Nonye Soludo for her sustained humanitarian advocacy and support for healthier communities.
As Anambra advances towards ending AIDS as a public health threat, ANSACA maintains that progress must be measured not only by numbers, but also by how well we protect the vulnerable, uphold dignity, confront stigma and ensure that everyone who needs care can access it.
Humanitarian action means leaving no one behind — including every person living with or affected by HIV.
Obianuju Isima is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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