Bukola Afeni
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s participation in the United Nations High-Level Meeting(HLM) on TB scheduled for 22nd September 2023, in New York.
CSOs which are( Grantees of Stop TB Partnership Geneva) comprising of Lawyers Alert and Debriche Health Development Center (DHDC) are also calling for the adaptation of the TB Key Ask and Nigeria’s Commitment towards the political
Declaration at the UN HLM on TB Care and Preparedness in September 2023.
They stated this at a media briefing for Journalists in Abuja.
The STOP-TB Partnership Grantees are urging the Nigerian government to exhibit the highest political will in the adoption of the political declarations by the personal attendance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The group is also urging the government to support the inclusion and participation of the TB Affected Communities, Parliamentarians, and CSOs in its official delegation at the UNHLM in New York.
“We want the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene on the issues of Visas to Non-Government delegates willing to attend the UN HLM in New York”, the grantees added.
The Executive Director of Lawyers Alert, Barrister Rommy Mom said the country needs more domestic funding to address limited access to diagnostic and treatment services while strengthening community health systems.
“Nigeria has a high burden of TB, and the poor diagnosis and treatment of TB and funding limitations for TB control are some of the challenges Nigeria is facing in the fight against TB”, he said.
Speaking on the importance of Nigeria’s adoption of the TB Key Ask at the UN HLM, Barrister Mom noted that there is a low level of public awareness about TB, which leads to an increase in stigma and discrimination against people affected by TB.
The Executive Director of DHDC, Mrs Deborah Ikeh, disclosed that speeding up access to TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care would reduce the incidence of TB in Nigeria, and prevent the spread of the disease.
She further called on the Nigerian government to increase funding for TB-related activities to tackle the disease effectively.
“With increased funding and improved access to health care services, Nigeria can make progress towards achieving its goal of eliminating TB by 2030. Sustaining financing for TB response would help improve Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure and strengthen its health systems”, she noted.
