Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Aaron Cole
Published on 2024-03-22 13:03:16
The Nigerian government has recently acquired 72 Toyota Hilux operational vehicles and various essential equipment to bolster the country’s responses to HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) and enhance the overall healthcare system. The handover ceremony for the facilities was conducted by the Global Fund in Lagos, where the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, received the equipment on behalf of the government.
According to a post by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation (FMINO), the HIV/TB equipment was procured with funding support from the Global Fund as part of the Grant Cycle 6 Investments in the 2021-2023 implementation phase. These vehicles will be distributed to all 36 states across the country to aid state governments in overseeing integrated HIV/TB programs in their respective regions.
This development is seen as a step towards decentralizing responsibilities and transferring the management of the national response from the central government to the states and local government areas in alignment with the 2.0 agreements. The Global Fund has been a crucial partner to the federal government for over two decades, with Nigeria being one of the largest recipients of the agency’s investments, receiving around $4.8 billion in grants. This includes the recent grant cycle signed to support the HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria response.
Mr. Pate stated that Nigeria has contributed $13.2 million towards the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment for the 2023-2025 allocation period, representing a 10% increase over the sixth replenishment pledge. The minister highlighted the significant donations made by the Global Fund in the past three years, particularly towards diagnostic equipment to bridge the diagnostic gap in TB management.
In terms of Tuberculosis in Nigeria, it is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria that primarily affects the lungs. It is considered the number one infectious killer disease globally and ranks among the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Nigeria diagnosed over 300,000 TB cases in 2023, marking a record number in the country’s history. The funding for TB in Nigeria has increased from 24% to 68%, and there has been an improvement in HIV treatment coverage between 2020 and 2023.
Nigeria holds the first position in Africa and sixth globally among countries with the highest burden of TB. The Bacilli Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is currently the only available vaccine against tuberculosis in the country.
Overall, these acquisitions and developments signify progress in Nigeria’s efforts to combat HIV, TB, and other healthcare challenges with the support of strategic partnerships and funding from organizations like the Global Fund.
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