Stakeholders call for political will to end Tuberculosis by 2030

Stakeholders in Nigeria have called on the Federal Government to demonstrate political will to end Tuberculosis (TB) in the country by 2030.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, on Tuesday, a legal and human rights-based organisation in Nigeria, Lawyers Alert in collaboration with Debriche Health Development Centre called for the adaptation of the TB Key Ask.

Both organisations are supported through the Stop TB Partnership Geneva’s Challenge Facility for Civil Society Grant Mechanism.

They called for Nigeria’s commitment towards the political declaration at the United Nations High-Level Meeting (UN HLM) on TB Care and Preparedness billed for New York in September.

The Stop-TB Partnership grantees in Nigeria called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to personally attend UNHLM on TB in New York.

The organisations sought Federal Government support, inclusion and participation of the TB program, parliamentarians, Civil Society Actors, and TB Affected Communities in its official delegation at the UNHLM to show the inclusiveness of addressing the issues.

According to the statement, “The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs should intervene on the issues of visas to non-government delegates willing to attend the UN HLM in New York.”

“That in the post Political declaration, the government should develop a roadmap as was done in 2018 for the actualisation of the commitments in Nigeria.”

The organisations said adopting the TB key asks would significantly contribute to Nigeria’s efforts to end the TB epidemic, saying that the recommendations in the key asks to address critical gaps in TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care that continue to hinder Nigeria’s progress.

Lawyers Alert and Debriche Health Development Centre maintained that rallying support for Nigeria’s adoption of the TB key Asks and its commitments at the UNHLM requires a coordinated effort among key stakeholders and effective communication strategies.

“By adopting the TB Key Asks, Nigeria can accelerate efforts to end the TB epidemic and improve the health and well-being of millions of Nigerians affected by the disease”, the organisations noted.

 

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