NGO advocates timely release of budgetary allocation to fight TB scourge

A Bauchi-based NGO, LANGA Women Development Initiative has advocated for timely release of budgetary allocation for the fight against tuberculosis in Bauchi state.

The NGO also stressed the need for government and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to come together to fight the scourge of Tuberculosis in the state considering that it is a contagious disease that can be eradicated.

The call was made by the Executive Director of LANGA Women Development Initiative, a non-profit, non-religious, non-political, and non-government organization, Maikudi Grace during a one-day Sensitization Forum for CSOs on tuberculosis held at the WEIN conference hall, Bauchi on Tuesday.

The ED explained that LANGA Women Development Initiative is focused on the mobilization and empowerment of women, Youths, and communities for national development.

According to her, “We have recently been selected by the USAID-funded SCALE-Project being implemented by Palladium as members of the cluster organization for a Cluster known as TB Northern Nexus to carry out advocacy for Increasing TB Funding in Northern Nigeria covering six states in the region.”

She added that the SCALE TB Northern Project, comprising six cluster organizations including NACWYCA in Nasarawa state, Health Development Alternative Initiative (HDAI), Kano state, LANGA Women Development Initiative (LWDI), Bauchi State, Community Awareness and Development Initiative (CADI), Katsina state, Kaneng  Rwang Pam Foundation for Education Migration Awareness (KRP_FEMA) in Plateau State and Okaha Women and Children Development Organization (OWACDO) in Benue, seeks to address the severe challenges posed by tuberculosis (TB) in Northern Nigeria.

Maikudi Grace added that the SCALE TB Northern Project addresses Nigeria’s persistent TB challenge by advocating for increased funding and improved management.

She stressed that “Despite TB’s preventability, Nigeria faces a daunting public health crisis, marked by 590,000 new cases and 350 daily deaths in 2023, compounded by funding shortages and stigma.”

The project aims to secure annual budget allocations with specific TB lines by 2025, ensuring 50% of funds are released for TB programs in Bauchi, Benue, Nasarawa, Katsina, Kano, and Plateau States in 2024 stressing, “Ultimately aiming to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 by 2030.”

The ED further said, “We consider you a critical stakeholder in health sector and hope to have you at this event to seek areas of collaboration and enduring partnership.”

She however lamented that funding for the fight against tuberculosis has remained inadequate while many states do not even have budget line allocation for TB adding that even where such exists, releases are grossly inadequate.

Maikudi Grace therefore urged the CSOs to pull their resources together and see how to tackle the issue to reduce the scourge and in the end, eradicate it in Bauchi state.

Also speaking, Chairman of Bauchi State Network of Civil Societies (BASNEC ), Jinjiri John stressed the importance of networking to achieve the set objectives of the project.

According to him, one organisation may find it extremely difficult to achieve an aim but teamwork is very important to achieving good and positive result.

The sensitization meeting was attended by all Bauchi-based CSOs that are working on health-related programmes which are to key into the tuberculosis project in support of LANGA Women Development Initiative.