Stakeholders Call for Increased Funding for TB

Partners implementing the tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant tuberculosis program in Nigeria have called for increased funding by the government to improve the treatment of the diseases in the country.

 The call came at a quarterly review meeting of recipients of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), which was hosted by Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) and Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) recently in Abuja.

The stakeholders particularly lamented the lack of funding for illnesses that arise during the treatment of Drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) and resolved to intensify advocacy efforts for increased political commitment and funding to manage such conditions.

 According to IHVN Technical Adviser HIV-TB/DRTB, Dr. Dutt Saswatta, the meeting was to ensure proper ending of the last quarter and to discuss how targets were accomplished, success stories and challenges of the past grantand quarter "which is from January to March, 2015 and then proffer the way forward for the coming quarter".

IHVN Program Coordinator, Global Fund, Dr. Eno E. Usoroh, made a presentation on achievements, challenges and expectations in implementing the DR-TB program in Nigeria. Dr. Usoroh emphasized the need for State TB Leprosy Control Programs and the National TB Leprosy Control Program (NTBLCP) to bridge the gap in generating an up-to-datedata for patients developing resistance to TB drugs.

She urged DR-TB Lab focal and State Lab Officers to compile a joint comprehensive list monthly to meet up with the treatment start date. "IHVN-GF have put all hands on deckin this last Quarter to place all pending patients on treatment and to support community Programmatic Management of Drug resistant Tuberculosis (PMDT) in 25 states,"she said.

The meeting was jointly declared open by IHVN CEO, Dr. Patrick Dakum represented by IHVN Director of Health Systems Strengthening Dr. Aaron Onah, and ARFH CEO and President, Prof. Oladapo Ladipo.

 Other stakeholders in attendance were NTBLCP National Coordinator, Dr. Gabriel Akang, representatives of State TB and Leprosy Control Officers (STBLCOs), German Leprosy Relief Association(GLRA), Damian Foundation Belgium (DFB), The Leprosy Mission Nigeria(TLMN), Netherlands Leprosy Relief(NLR), Health Alive Foundation representing Civil Society Organizations and representatives of the World Health Organization.