By Ojoma Akor:
Stakeholders have begun harmonization of strategies for increased domestic resource mobilisation for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in the country.
The harmonization strategies are geared towards strengthening coordination and collaboration in securing funding and resources for health priorities.
The stakeholders brainstormed on the framework , Wednesday in Abuja during a workshop organized by Stop TB Partnership, Nigeria.
The Board Chair of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, enjoined civil society organisations to stop operating in silos, adding that there was need for unified efforts in all disease programmes.
She said, “Several disease programmes have been working in silos, but in the face of dwindling funding from external sources, we all have to come together for a unified front. We are bringing all the civil society together to harmonise our strategic plan for domestic resource mobilisation.”
She added that there was need to harmonise the existing strategic plans of TB, HIV, and malaria as well as drive a collective advocacy for sustainable funding.
“Civil society organisations occupy a strategic position; they are the voice for the voiceless. We can communicate and push for support, and that is why we are here together,” she added.
The National Coordinator of the Association of Civil Society Organisations on Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition (ACOMIN) Ayo Ipinmoye, said it was important for Nigerians to take ownership of their health sector, rather than relying on foreign funding.
He said, ” We have waited on other countries to fund the work that we do for too long. We need to pay for the things that make for the good health of Nigerians.Civil societies must play their roles in government and private accountability. Health is a national responsibility that cannot be outsourced.”
The executive secretary of Nigeria’s Country Coordinating Mechanism for Global Fund, Tajudeen Ibrahim, said it was no longer sustainable for the country to rely on international help to achieve its health outcomes.
He said , “Relying on foreign funding is no longer sustainable.We need to take ownership of our health sector. We need to pay for the things that make for the good health of Nigerians, “ he added.
He further said that the Global Fund requires countries to contribute a minimum of 15% co-financing for HIV, TB, and malaria programs, adding that Nigeria has had a tough time meeting this requirement in the past.
He said, Nigeria’s progress in meeting the co-financing requirement was dependent on partnerships between the government and civil society organisations.
He said: the CCM Nigeria has launched a new strategy to mobilise domestic resources, with a focus on coordinating efforts across different disease-specific programmes.
“Each programme has a detailed plan, with malaria requiring about $2 billion annually to implement comprehensive interventions. The current deficit stands at over $1 billion,” he added.
