Chairman of the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Malaria Control, Amobi Ogah, has assured that the parliament will take decisive legislative actions to combat tuberculosis (TB), including pushing for increased funding and enacting laws to protect patients’ rights.
Speaking at the Re-Launch of the Nigeria Parliamentary TB Caucus at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Ogah emphasized that lawmakers must leverage their positions to strengthen Nigeria’s TB response.
Ogah promised to mobilize parliamentarians to sign up for the caucus and champion policies that will enhance TB detection, treatment, and prevention.
He disclosed that nearly 70% of Global Fund-supported countries are facing budget shortfalls for TB response, with 10 nations alone facing a $600 million deficit in 2025.
Nigeria, he warned, must increase domestic resource mobilization, particularly since most African countries, including Nigeria are yet to meet the Abuja Declaration target of allocating 15% of their national budgets to health.
To ensure that funding gaps do not cripple Nigeria’s fight against TB, the lawmaker urged Parliament to intensify advocacy and push for greater financial commitments from the government.
The Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen said the House of Representatives will take bold legislative action and increase funding to combat tuberculosis (TB), a disease that continues to pose a major public health threat in the country.
He emphasized the urgent need for stronger awareness campaigns, improved healthcare infrastructure, and legislative measures to bridge the treatment gap.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria remains the seventh-highest TB-burdened country globally and second in Africa, with 361,000 new cases recorded in 2023—a 26% increase from the previous year.
