A rights group, the Gender Perspective and Social Development Centre (GPSDC) has canvassed for increased internal resource mobilization for tuberculosis interventions in Anambra State.
The group stated this during an advocacy visit for increased domestic funding for tuberculosis intervention to the Director of the budget in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Christy Akabua.
The visit was part of the Fund TB project being implemented in five states of the South-East and South-South regions of Nigeria by Policy Alert and four other non-governmental organizations, in partnership with the Palladium Group under the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project, funded by USAID.
Speaking during the visit, a member of the visiting team, Chima Asomba argued that the discussion around donor fatigue and the fear that they would soon leave, called for a holistic resource mobilization to keep the response sustainable in case of donors’ exit.
He said, “Remember they came to help us and we should not leave everything to them. The drugs for tuberculosis are not really over the counter like that for malaria. They are strong antibiotics and we rely on Global Fund to make this happen as well as the diagnostic tools.
“So, the essence of this meeting is to get your commitment as we now begin to look at how internal resource mobilization can assist in making the whole thing around TB cases detection and enrolment into care, to make it sustainable as a country”.
Earlier, the Program Manager, GPSDC, Oge Ozoemena, explained that the organization as one of the five implementing partners anchored the Fund TB project in Anambra State.
“We are here to solicit greater commitment from the government in terms of budgeting and release of budgeted funds for tuberculosis in the state.
“We are aware of the importance of your office in this whole effort and that is why we come to share with you the current realities around TB response in the state and the need to increase domestic funding for it.
“Current funding is majorly donor-driven. Donors fund 24 percent while locally, there is 6 percent funding, leaving a gap of 70 percent,” Ozoemena regretted.
Responding, the Director of Budget in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Christy Akabua urged the group to mobilize relevant ministries of government to play a vanguard role of aggressive mobilization for increased budgeting.
She said, “I understand this is all about sustainability and to achieve this, first of all, I think we should start looking at raising awareness through intensive sensitization in the state.
“If you create awareness around the state, definitely, it will come to the budget office.
“I suggest you pay advocacy visits to the Commissioner of Budget Planning and Economics and that of Health to understand the importance of increased budgeting and releases for tuberculosis. They need to lead the way for it to enjoy government approval.
“With the approval of the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, the budget will be made, and an activity will be created for it so that it will be visible to anybody who wants to see it. When that is achieved, at our level, we will be able to see it through during bilateral discussions.
“But, you must get the relevant ministries of government to champion the course.”
