A’Ibom Women Affairs Commissioner Partners Policy Alert on Fund TB Project
By Ndifreke Enefiok
In a bid to intensify advocacy for tuberculosis (TB) and address the 70% funding gap, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Ini Adiakpan, has keyed into the Fund TB project.
The partnership was formalized when Policy Alert, the anchor organization for the project in Akwa Ibom State, paid an advocacy visit to the Commissioner in her office on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
The project codenamed Transformative Budgeting and Financing for Improved Tuberculosis Services (also known as the FundTB project) is implemented in partnership with Palladium Group, under the health component of Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE).
Led by Policy Alert, the project which seeks to achieve enhanced and sustainable domestic investment for TB services through advocacy, private sector engagement, and health insurance coverage, is implemented in Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Delta, and Imo.
With funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the project’s key advocacy tasks include the release of approved TB funds in the four states, creation of a TB budget line in Akwa Ibom’s 2025 budget, increased private sector engagement for better health outcomes, and extension of health insurance coverage to TB patients in the five project states.
By achieving these objectives, the Fund TB project aims to ensure sustainable and meaningful outcomes for TB patients and contribute to the global effort to combat TB.
Expressing her commitment to the project, Dr. Adiakpan thanked Policy Alert for championing the cause, and stressed the importance of collaboration in amplifying the advocacy for TB.
‘It’s nice to see Policy Alert championing the advocacy for TB and bringing others to join the campaign. When we work together, we are heard more, and the reach is wider,’ she noted.
The Commissioner assured that she would present the request to her colleague in the Ministry of Economic Development to ensure that a budget line for TB is considered as the state prepares the 2025 budget template, highlighting the need for gender budgeting.
Earlier, Mr. Koko Udoh, Project Manager for Fund TB at Policy Alert, briefed the Commissioner on the organization’s objectives.
Udoh explained that the advocacy visit aimed to intimate the Commissioner about the project and explore ways to co-create ideas that can help the government secure funding for TB interventions.
He highlighted the alarming global statistics, which place Nigeria as the 6th country with the highest TB cases and 1st in Africa. According to Udoh, the 2022 World Health Report, revealed over 452,000 TB cases were recorded in Nigeria, and 152 deaths.
He said, “TB is the seventh killer in the world and had not been paid attention to in Nigeria. Our concern here is that if out of 452,000 people are currently receiving treatment or support and funding from international agencies, if these foreign agencies stop funding Nigeria due to the upcoming election in their country, and withdraw supporting drugs in particular, what will happen to those with TB?
Definitely, we are going to have multiple drug resistance and what this means is that, the available drug may not be able to solve the problem. Fortunately, TB is a disease that can be cured but many people are still dying from it,” he added.
He noted that when funds are allocated and released, facilities can be equipped, and private sectors can be mobilized to donate equipment, renovate or build DOT centres, support awareness and sensitization, as well as food assistance to complement the drugs for TB patients.