By Joseph Erunke

ABUJA-MAJOR stakeholders in the control and eradication of Tuberculosis in Nigeria have fingered funding as a major challenge in the eradication of the disease in the country.

A critical stakeholder in the fight against the disease,Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, said there is 70 percent funding gap,a development seen to be worrisome.

The group speaking at a press conference in Abuja ahead of the 2021 National TB Conference scheduled for November,this year,observed that over the years,TB financing has been driven largely by external funding sources, noting particularly that in 2020, it was estimated that the implementation of National Strategic Plan,NSP for tuberculosis required about $384 million but only 30 percent was available to all the implementers of TB control activities in Nigeria.

The 30 percent representing 7 percent domestic and 23 percent donor funds, according to the group which spoke through Executive Secretary,Mr Mayowa Joel,left a 70 percent funding gap.

Speaking on expected conference,Executive Director, KNCV Nigeria and Chair, Central Planning Committee, of the coming event,Dr. Bethrand Odume, regretted that “despite incremental progress in the quality of TB treatment and care over the years as evidenced by the 87 percent success rate and 91 percent uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ARP) among HIV-positive TB patients,the overall TB treatment coverage remains low at 27 percent in 2021, and case notification have marginally increased in the past five years.”

“The situation translates to about 75 percent of TB patients being missed annually. Of equally great concern is the increasing gap in access to TB services to the pediatric population and other vulnerable groups,”he added.

While observing that tuberculosis patients were more vulnerable to other infections and COVID-19 complications owning to existing lung damage,Odume said funding constraints have remained a major challenge towards ending the ailment in the country.

According to him,Nigeria remained one of the 10 high-burden nations for “TB, TB/HIV and multi-drug resistant (MDR)-TB in 2021.”

He recalled that Global TB Report by World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated the country’s cases at 440,000, with only 117,320 of the figure diagnosed and notified.

Odume canvassed for access to research, technologies, innovations and partnerships for TB control in Nigeria to overcome the disease.

Acting Chairman, Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Dr. Ayodele Awe, who also spoke at the event, fingered coronavirus for disruption of health services in the country following prolonged lockdown.