Reps lament $268.8m funding shortfall of Tuberculosis despite Donor Agencies’ support

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4 years ago

Members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday tasked Federal Government on the need to intervene in the public health crises of tuberculosis in Nigeria.

The resolution was passed sequel to the motion sponsored by Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Benjamin Kalu noted that TB is Mycobacterium tuberculosis that affects the lungs and over the years, has been associated with mortality, even though it is curable and preventable.

The lawmaker specifically noted that in 2019, out of the $384 million required for TB response in Nigeria, $88,320,000 representing (23%) was provided by international donors while only a meagre $26,880 representing (7 per cent) was mobilized from domestic sources, leaving $268,800,000 (70 per cent) unfunded and as a result of the underfunding of TB in Nigeria, a large number of health facilities do not currently have any form of TB services being rendered.

Hon. Kalu observed that TB is one of the top 10 causes of death and the leading cause of a single infectious agent above HIV/AIDS and according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) – in 2019, an estimated 10 million people fell ill with TB worldwide; 1.4 million people died from TB in 2019 (including 208,000 people with HIV); TB is the leading killer of people living with HIV; TB is present in all countries and age groups; approximately 60 million lives were saved through TB diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2019.

“The House is worried that in Nigeria, a total of 127,000 people died from TB in 2019 and 27,000 people from HIV.

“The House is concerned that in 2019, an estimated 440,000 people in Nigeria were living with tuberculosis of which 285,000 were men, 155,000 were women out of which 83,000 were below 14 years old.

“The House is also concerned that multidrug-resistant TB (MDR–TB) is a public health crisis and threat, as a total of 21,000 people with multidrug and rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR–TB) were diagnosed in 2019.

“The House is further Concerned that out of the 440,000 TB cases, only 120,300 were registered, leaving 319,700 undiagnosed and untreated cases which could result in the spread of the disease in Nigeria.

“The House is also worried that despite these realities, funding for the control of TB in Nigeria over the years has been largely donor dependent due to the government underfunding of the health sector as well as its failure to fulfil its commitments under the Abuja Declaration of 2001.”

While stressing that although TB is a preventable, treatable and curable disease, he observed that people living with TB in Nigeria often have to endure stigmatization and discrimination and mindful that ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is one of the health targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of which Nigeria is a signatory.

As part of efforts aimed at tackling the menace, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure effective and efficient implementation of tuberculosis related policies, including improving government funding and ensuring the inclusion of TB in the minimum primary health care service package, and other priority interventions in the health sector.

The lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to consider the inclusion of TB services into the benefits package of the National Health Insurance scheme due to its qualification as a disease of high burden and public health concern.

To this end, the House mandated the Committees on HIV, Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control, Healthcare Services, and Health Institutions to interface with stakeholders, relevant professionals and the public to determine the appropriate legislative intervention required for improved TB control and to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Tuberculosis, especially the MDR–TB and also to effectively address stigmatization and all forms of discrimination against people living with TB, and report back within six weeks for further legislative action.

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