The House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria has vowed to investigate the utilisation and impact of the N62 billion intervention fund approved by the Federal Government.
Chairman, House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria, Hon. Amobi Ogah who disclosed this in Abuja during a familiarisation visit to the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA), also unveiled plans to investigate the utilisation of over $4 billion Global Fund facility approved for Nigeria.
While reiterating the need for the Agency to reduce to the barest minimum the spread of the disease, especially, the menace of Mother-to-Child transmission, reiterated the Committee’s resolve to establish a favourable working relationship with relevant stakeholders, in the bid to stamp out or reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Amobi said: “We are here to have first-hand knowledge of the workings of the agency, success and prospects for the future. The House Committee on ATM is ready to support NACA with Legislative measures and interventions that will greatly impact the agency’s capacity to effectively deliver on our mandate.
“We are also aware of the targets to eliminate transmission of HIV/AIDS by the year 2030.
“In order to end the spread of Aids as a public health threat, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari launched a N62 billion Trust Fund on February 3rd, 2022.
“As a Committee, we are going to interface with the Fund to find out what has been done so far. We are also going to critically look into the Global Fund of over $4 billion invested annually to know what happened to the fund,” he assured.
In his remarks, NACA Director General, Dr. Aliyu Gambo noted that “NACA has been working for well over 15 years, partnering with Donor Agencies, which has made it possible to successfully increase the number of patients being treated for HIV/AIDS from 200,000 to 1.6 million nationwide.
“According to our survey, we have over 1.8 million to 1.9 million people living with AIDS.”
While noting that AIDS no longer kills, he appealed to people to go for tests.
He disclosed that one can self-test, and not necessarily go to the hospital first.
In the bid to ensure effective service delivery, Gambo appealed for increased budgetary allocation for the Agency.
During the interactive session, the lawmakers requested available data on AIDS patients and treatment, and the States with the most prevalent case of HIV/AIDS.
According to the data presented on the National HIV/AIDS Impact Survey conducted by NACA, in most States of the Federation, two out 10, and 3 of 15 persons sampled and tested had contracted the deadly HIV/AIDS disease.
To this end, the lawmakers tasked the Agency with the need to embark on more sensitization on the scourge of the disease in all the rural communities.
In a related development, the Committee also visited the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) as well as the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NYBLCP).
Members of the committee went berserk at the level of deterioration at the two centres as well as the absenteeism, amongst other misconducts exhibited by the staff of the two Agencies which were observed during the oversight function.
Worried by the development, Hon. Amobi Ogah, said: “MDAs condemn politicians as embezzlers of public funds.
“From what we have seen today, NYBLCP is worse than a motor park; and at NMEP, there is absolute disregard for the National Assembly. We are going to take action and these MDAs must do their jobs.”
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