Nigerian government has been charged to increase funding for tuberculosis related activities to tackle the disease effectively.

This charge is against the backdrop of the inadequate diagnosis and treatment of TB in the country despite that Nigeria has a high burden of TB.

A legal and human rights-based organisation in Nigeria, Lawyers Alert at a joint press conference with Debriche Health Development Centre called for the adaptation of the Civil Society TB Key Ask ahead of the United Nations High Level Meeting (UNHLM) on TB by Nigeria, and also demanding for specifics in the Declarations.

The organisations are Grantees of the Stop TB Partnership Challenge Facility Grant. They noted that funding limitations for TB control is one of the challenges Nigeria faces in the fight against disease.

The President of Lawyers Alert, Barrister Rommy Mom appealed to Federal Government to prioritize TB across healthcare system in the country.

The organisations urged government to ensure that all national TB responses are equitable, inclusive, gender-sensitive, rights-based and people-centered.

Mom said the TB Stakeholders Key Asks for The 2023 United Nations High-Level Meeting (UN HLM) on TB include reaching all people affected by tuberculosis (TB) with prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care by implementing evidence-based and quality interventions and tools per the latest international guidelines.

“Also, to accelerate the research, development, roll-out, and access to new TB vaccines, diagnostics, drugs, and other essential new tools, including digital health technologies geared to the needs of the most neglected, key and vulnerable populations”, he said.

Rommy said “Government should invest the funds necessary to end TB. It needs to prioritize TB across systems for health: Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Primary Health Care (PHC), Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR) and AMR.”

“Ensure decisive and accountable global, regional and national leadership, including regular UN reporting and Review. 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 organisations said Nigeria’s commitments at the UN HLM in 2023 and the adoption of the TB Key Asks can enable Nigeria to intensify its efforts to control TB and MDR-TB, saying that adopting the TB key Asks would have significant benefits for Nigeria’s current TB control program.

They noted 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.

According to the statement “ending TB stigma and discrimination and promoting equitable, rights-based, and person-centred TB care would improve the well-being of people living with TB and encourage them to seek care, consequently reducing disease transmission. Also, ensuring sufficient and sustainable financing for TB response would help improve Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure and strengthen its health systems.

“There must be increased awareness about the importance of early detection and prevention of TB to reduce its spread among vulnerable populations. With increased funding and improved access to healthcare services, Nigeria can make progress towards achieving its goal of eliminating TB by 2030.

“In order to ensure that all national TB responses are equitable, inclusive, gender-sensitive, rights-based and people-centred, it is important to focus on enacting TB Legislation that caters for Community rights and gender-based response to TB, TB care, diagnosis and vaccination.

“These elements are essential for preventing and treating tuberculosis (TB). By providing access to quality care and diagnosis and ensuring that those affected by TB have access to the right vaccines in a timely manner, we can reduce the burden of TB on individuals and communities.”

“It is also important that these responses are gender sensitive and right-based so that women have equal access to services regardless of their gender identity or expression and give access to the same level of care regardless of their socioeconomic status or other factors.”

“Finally, they should be people-centred so that those affected by this disease have their voices heard in decision-making processes related to TB care”, the organisations stated.

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