Nigeria marked World AIDS Day on 1 December 2025 by celebrating the pivotal contributions of public-health data expert, Chinedum Favour Ajala. Her dedicated work in strengthening the nation's HIV surveillance and community-level monitoring frameworks has been recognised as a cornerstone in improving the country's epidemic-response infrastructure.
Modernising Nigeria's HIV Data Infrastructure
As a field epidemiology practitioner, Ajala played a central role in revolutionising how Nigeria tracks and responds to HIV. Her efforts focused on three critical areas: strengthening case-surveillance systems, modernising digital reporting tools, and improving overall data governance structures. These reforms are now fundamental to guiding national planning and resource allocation.
In several high-burden states, Ajala spearheaded the deployment of innovative digital tools. These tools significantly boosted the accuracy and speed of HIV testing and case reporting. The new systems created seamless documentation workflows, effectively connecting the journey from initial HIV screening to treatment enrolment and long-term patient retention.
Real-Time Visibility and Stronger Coordination
The shift from outdated manual reporting to digital platforms has been transformative. Programme managers now have real-time visibility into testing performance, can identify hotspot trends, and pinpoint coverage gaps instantly. Health experts confirm that this move has drastically reduced data inconsistencies that previously undermined national epidemic-control strategies.
A senior HIV programme coordinator hailed Ajala's work as "a catalyst for stronger surveillance integrity." The digital improvements have notably strengthened coordination between community testing teams, health facilities, and state reporting units, creating a more unified response network.
National Impact and Inclusive Surveillance
Ajala's influence extends to the national level, where she supported the rollout of standardised data-verification protocols and quality-assessment procedures across all states. She has personally trained numerous field testers, data clerks, and surveillance officers on World Health Organization-aligned standards, helping to minimise discrepancies between facility and state databases.
Her work has also made HIV surveillance more inclusive. Monitoring has been expanded to cover hard-to-reach groups, and visibility for adolescents and young people—often missing in traditional reports—has greatly improved. Furthermore, she has strengthened the capacity of community-level outreach teams.
A technical advisor on the national response described her as part of a "new generation of digital public-health leaders" who excel in both data governance and community engagement.
Driving Progress Towards 2030 Goals
The cumulative impact of these reforms is substantial. Officials state that Ajala's contributions directly support Nigeria's progress towards the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. Her work enhances case detection, strengthens the tracking of treatment linkages, and ensures more reliable viral-suppression data for planners.
These advancements in data systems do more than just track HIV; they contribute to broader epidemic-readiness efforts as Nigeria diligently works toward its goal of controlling the epidemic by 2030. The reliable data now available empowers policymakers with crucial information on high-risk groups, testing coverage, prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) gaps, and treatment-support needs.
