Francis Sardauna in Katsina
Civil Society Organisations in Katsina State have advocated for the integration of tuberculosis (TB) services into the state 2023 health budget in order to tackle the infectious disease in the state.
The CSOs also called for an improved funding for tuberculosis and integration of its services into the state Contributory Healthcare Scheme to bridge “the huge existing gap” in the TB management.
Speaking at a CSOs engagement workshop for TB domestic resources mobilisation, the state Coordinator of Development Governance International Consult (DGI Consult), Abdulmalik Abdulrazeez, said 90 per cent of TB funding was from donors.
He explained that adequate budgetary allocations and timely release of appropriation for tuberculosis services as well as its integration into the health insurance scheme would significantly tackle the contagious disease.
The coordinator said: “Presently, there is no budget line for tuberculosis in Katsina and many other states in Nigeria. So we called on the Katsina State Government to integrate tuberculosis services into the state health budget to eradicate tuberculosis cases in the state.”
In his opening remarks, the state Chairman of Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, AbdulRahman Abdullahi, urged the state government to enroll tuberculosis patients into its contributory healthcare scheme.
He called on the government to also ensure that adequate and sustainable funding mechanisms are in place that would guarantee sufficient healthcare services for tuberculosis patients in the state.
According to him, sufficient and timely release of funds for tuberculosis services by the government at all levels will enhance service delivery and eliminate user fees for TB patients in the country.
While noting that public awareness about the effects of tuberculosis in the state will aid efforts towards tackling the epidemic, Abdullahi said CSOs would champion the war against the disease.
