FG, private sector plan $50m funding to combat TB

As part of efforts to scale up Tuberculosis case finding and placing patients on treatment, the Federal Government has struck a $50m (N78.3bn) joint contribution deal with the private sector to address the huge funding gap in TB services in Nigeria.

For Nigeria to achieve the goal of eliminating TB by 2030, the Federal Government said it was crucial to collaborate with the private sector to provide direct funding to the national TB programme and also deliver financial and non-financial incentives.

The private sector is also expected to bring its expertise and advocate political commitment and investment in TB treatment and control.

Tuberculosis popularly known as TB is an infectious disease that usually affects the lungs. Symptoms include coughing, phlegm, and more.

Nigeria ranks top in TB burden in Africa and number six in the world.

Despite Nigeria accounting for the high burden of the disease, the country still has a 70 per cent funding gap in TB with only six per cent of the National TB budget coming from domestic sources.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate disclosed this during the launch of the Private Sector Strategy to End Tuberculosis in Nigeria, held in Lagos recently.

It was organised by the Stop TB Nigeria Partnership.

Pate said the Federal Government would contribute $25 million (N39.1bn) to match the $25 million financial commitment made by the private sector towards the goal.

The minister said, “Nigeria faces a huge funding gap of USD 273 million for TB control efforts, which is 70 per cent of the total TB budget of USD 388 million for 2023. Domestic contributions make up 15 per cent (USD 6 million), while contributions from external donors account for 23 per cent (USD 92 million).

“We must work together and explore all avenues to bridge the substantial gaps in resources, innovations, and interventions required to effectively control and eradicate TB in Nigeria.

“In this regard, private sector organisations have crucial roles, especially by leveraging their resources, technology, and influence to amplify the efforts of the government and other partners in TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care.”

Pate stated that the joint contribution deal by the Federal Government with the private sector is aimed at ending tuberculosis by 2030.

He explained, “What we’ve offered to the private sector and captains of industry, to the millionaires and billionaires that are Nigerians, is that if they step up to $25 million, we would work to match them with $25 million between what the Federal Government and development partners would put in, in terms of domestic resources and also mobilising other philanthropic sources to invest.

“The Federal Government has struck this deal with the private sector towards ending tuberculosis by 2030.  Together, we can ensure that our resources are used efficiently, effectively, and transparently, with a plan to monitor our progress over time.”

The Sustainable Development Goal 3.3, targets for 2030 are a 90 per cent reduction in the number of TB deaths and an 80 per cent reduction in new TB cases per 100,000, population per year.

A new report by the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme noted that Nigeria alone accounted for 23 per cent of deaths resulting from TB in Africa.

The report states that undetected TB carriers in the country are capable of infecting between 12 per cent and 15 per cent of the country’s population annually.

In his opening remarks, the Director of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Chukwuma Anyaike, urged all stakeholders to embrace this strategy and collaborate in a coordinated and sustained effort to end TB in Nigeria.

He said the private sector’s involvement was crucial in this drive, “The strategy we are launching today represents a comprehensive and collaborative approach to leveraging the private sector’s resources, expertise, and reach to enhance our TB control efforts.

“By engaging private healthcare providers, businesses, and other stakeholders, we aim to mobilise resources to improve TB case detection and treatment adherence and, ultimately, reduce the TB burden in Nigeria.

“Therefore, this is a call to action for private sector organisations to leverage their resources, expertise, and innovative ideas to significantly improve the fight against tuberculosis.”

The director said though Nigeria had made significant progress in the fight against TB, the huge funding gaps had become a threat to patients living with the disease due to a shortage of diagnostic cartridges and TB medicines.

“The TB Program Nigeria increased her efforts and ambition, scaled up her interventions and coverage, performed very well, and surpassed her targets; the first ever in the history of TB response in Nigeria.

“Unfortunately, we are facing a dire shortage of diagnostic cartridges and TB medicines. Besides the risk of rolling back all achievements, we are at the risk of the interruption of essential programming by September 2024. This meeting is therefore apt as the private sector is expected to play a crucial role in achieving a robust health system in Nigeria.

“This is in tandem with the SDG 17 which harps on strong partnership without which it will be difficult to achieve the remaining 16 SDGs.”

The Country Representative of the World Health Organisation Nigeria, Dr Walter Molumbo, said finding and treating TB cases is key to universal health coverage, stressing that without the private sector, the county cannot achieve TB coverage.

He explained, “The private sector must be comprehensively engaged in the provision of TB and other care to Nigeria. Over the years the consistent cuts in the TB budget will currently stand at 70 per cent. For example wide-scale implementation of innovative quality and indigenous-based intervention across the country with a significant number of people yet to be reached.

“We see mostly treatment and prevention services. The value created in accessing TB services must be addressed for the country to reach the end TB target by 2030. We expect that the private sector engagement and plan being launched will help governance and public health resources required to end the epidemic in the country.”

The National Programme Officer for TB, WHO, Dr Amos Omoniyi, in a presentation on what is required to end TB in Nigeria, said the country is among the 30 highest TB burden countries in the world.

He noted, “Nigeria has the highest TB burden in Africa with an estimated 479,000 cases in 2022 (19 per cent of the African burden. One person develops TB every minute and one person dies from TB every five minutes in Nigeria, even as 97,900 died from TB, this represents 23 per cent of TB deaths in Africa

“We expect the private sector to mobilise domestic resources to address the current gap in TB budget, procure additional molecular WHO Rapid diagnostic tools to ensure 100 per cent coverage of the LGAs/universal coverage with TB diagnostic tools.”

Earlier in her welcome address, the Acting Board Chair of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Dr Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, said they would engage with the private sector as a powerful force that could drive innovation, and expand access to services that would reach the underserved populations most affected by TB.

She noted that a multi-sectoral approach was crucial to eradicating TB in Nigeria.

Ogbuji-Ladipo urged organisations in the private sector to remain steadfast in their commitment to the cause as StopTB Partnership Nigeria continues to advocate, innovate, collaborate, and invest resources in TB, knowing that every step will bring Nigeria closer to a TB-free nation.