Nigeria Battles HIV and Malaria Locally as U.S. Aid Shrinks: Codix Bio Steps In
The move comes as U.S. foreign aid funding—primarily through USAID—is scaled back, triggering uncertainty about how ongoing health programs will be sustained.
Nigeria turns to local solutions as it battles the world’s highest malaria burden and one of the top HIV rates amid shrinking global aid. Photo/Reuters.
By Brian Kiprop
Nigeria, which bears the world’s highest malaria burden—nearly 27% of global cases according to the WHO—and the fourth largest HIV burden per UNAIDS, is shifting towards homegrown solutions amid shrinking international support.
Local biotech firm Codix Bio Ltd is taking a bold step to bridge the looming gap. The company is launching a massive production drive for HIV and malaria rapid diagnostic test kits at its newly-built facility just outside Lagos, aimed at serving both Nigeria and the wider African region.
The move comes as U.S. foreign aid funding—primarily through USAID—is scaled back, triggering uncertainty about how ongoing health programs will be sustained.
In 2024 alone, USAID contributed $740 million to Nigeria, with much of it directed toward malaria prevention, HIV care, and vaccine distribution to community health centres.
With no clear roadmap from Washington, Nigeria is now preparing to take on more responsibility. The government has pledged to seek alternative funding to sustain critical health services.
Speaking to Reuters, Codix Bio’s General Manager, Olanrewaju Balaja, said the company is set to begin distributing the test kits this month.
The plant, developed in partnership with South Korea’s SD Biosensor and backed by the World Health Organization, has an annual production capacity of 147 million kits, expandable to over 160 million.
“From the data on what USAID and PEPFAR supplied in recent years, we believe our current capacity is sufficient to meet Nigeria’s domestic needs,” Balaja stated confidently.
But Codix Bio isn’t stopping there. The company aims to scale up operations and expand exports to other West African and Sub-Saharan African nations—many of which face similar health challenges and donor dependency.
“Our goal has always been to become a key player in the supply of rapid test kits to donor agencies, particularly as USAID led this effort for years,” Balaja added.
The company anticipates that both the Nigerian government and major global health donors like the Global Fund will now turn to locally-produced kits to fill the void left by reduced U.S. support.
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