Stakeholders task govt on funding for TB cure as Plateau records 1,500 cases in 1Qr 2024
Stakeholders in the control, treatment and management of tuberculosis in Plateau state have tasked the state government to make more funds available for the management of the disease
This came as the Programme Manager
Tuberculosis (TB), Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme in Plateau state (PLSTBLCP), Dr. Maxwell Jublick, has disclosed that over 1,500 cases of the disease have been recorded in the first quarter of this year in the state.
Jublick, speaking at one in the series of technical dialogue sessions on tuberculosis funding, treatment and control under the auspices of the USAID SCALE sponsored Northern Nexus Cluster for the control of Tuberculosis in Northern Nigeria held at the Kaneng Rwang Pam Foundation for Education and Migration Awareness, (KRP-FEMA), office in Jos, decried the low funding in the fight against the scourge in Plateau.
He said that funding has been largely driven by development partners – USAID and GlobalFund, adding that Plateau state has no funding line for tuberculosis control, leading to a surge in the incidence of the disease in the state.
The programme manager said that the last release for TB programme was during the last administration, adding that even at that the release was not enough to cover the funding gap in TB control programmes.
Jubilik, who was represented by the Lenkat joseph Mukan, underlined many challenges that hamper active case finding and cause increased mortality rate among patients with TB to include lack of training of Local Government TB and Leprosy Supervisors (LGTBLSs) at the Zaria training center, inadequate weighing Scales, quarterly continuous On-site Data Validation, outreaches to slumps, schools and correctional facilities, commemoration of World TB Day, DOTS (Direct Observation Treatment Sites), Refresher training for DOTS officers and administrative Cost.
Others, he said, included purchase of New laptops for state team members, printers, funds to support quarterly State to local government area facility supervisory visits as well as quarterly state review meeting for non-Global Fund supported members of the State TB Programme, CSOs and Ministry of Healt
He said, “Normally we start with screening the patients by the signs and symptoms of TB. SO there must be adequate screening that’s the first thing and when we screen we get some the samples have to be adequate so that we can it have can be diagnosed.
“Then if we take the samples to the lab we don’t have all the equipment to diagnose tb we have just a few ideally we are supposed to have it in every local government like the
gene expert machine that diagnosed the tb and then sometimes uh materials for the recording too
“We need human resource too which is very important . Lack of human resource could contribute to that. that too, and also training. We need to build the capacity the human resource is not it’s there even if human resources there you need to train
people to do the work and training is involves a lot of funds too.
Executive Director, Kaneng Rwang Pam- Foundation for Education and Migration Awareness ( KRP-FEMA) and SCALE TB Project Lead, Ms Kaneng Rwang Pam, said that the aim of the engagements is to create awareness about TB and funding lacuna and to engage the general public to be more invoiced in TB cure.
She said that there’s the need for increase in domestic funding, especially the payment of the counterpart funding to bridge the gap as donors are already becoming fatigued.
Rwang Pam said, “Our aim is to bring everybody on board – government, public and private sector, faith-based and humanitarian organisations and individuals – to contribute their little quota to the fight against TB.
“And to do this, we have embarked on a lot of advocacy visits to government, MDAs, organisations, health institutions, private sector and well meaning individuals to sensitise them on the need to embark on aggressive measures to halt the spread of this menace.
Executive Director, Eagle Lead Development Initiative (ELDI), Peter Ezekiel, said there the need increase Political and Administrative Commitment so as to encourage legislators to give TB control a priority in the state’s health agenda by guaranteeing TB programmes receive steady funding and support.
He said, “NGOs, foreign partners, and government agencies should work together more closely to develop a cohesive strategy for tuberculosis control.
“There’s the need also to address drug resistance and improve treatment adherence and to guarantee that patients finish their TB treatment, put in place patient support networks like treatment partners or community health professionals. Improve surveillance methods to quickly identify and treat drug-resistant tuberculosis cases while making that the right treatment guidelines are followed.
“Ensure sustainable funding by encouraging more government funding and look at sustainable financing strategies, such as including the private sector in Plateau State TB Programme funding and integrating TB care into larger health insurance systems.
“Adopt affordable TB preventive and treatment plans while making sure that the monies that are available are spent wisely.
Ezekiel, who is also the Plateau State Programme Officer GF/NACA/TBN C19RM Project, said that “By putting the aforementioned tactics into practice, Plateau State can greatly improve the efficacy of its tuberculosis control initiatives. To overcome the obstacles and eventually lessen the prevalence of tuberculosis in Plateau State and throughout Nigeria, a multifaceted strategy involving infrastructural development, public education, robust political backing, and long-term finance would be essential.”
Officials and media partners of KRP FEMA paid advocacy visits to ministries of finance, health, State TB control programme office, government and health institutions
The series of engagements aimed to raise awareness, promote advocacy, and strengthen partnerships in the fight against TB. The event brought together stakeholders from the government, private sector, and civil society to discuss strategies for combating TB in Plateau State
