By Owen Akenzua, Asaba
No fewer than 18,000 cases of tuberculosis (TB) has been recorded in Delta State, Non Governmental Organization (NGO) Officials have revealed.
At the workshop organized on Wednesday in Asaba aimed at enhancing advocacy, and in collaboration with the K- paladin Organization and funded by the united states agency for international development ( USAID), the Executive Director of Cowyem , Tessy Enahoro noted that TB is an airborne disease that can be easily contracted, underscoring the importance of funding the advocacy in the state.
She however called for partnerships with media Organizations and stakeholders’to awareness, especially in rural areas, about the dangers of TB.
The worship brought together representatives from non governmental organizations ( ngos) Civil Service Organizations, media outlets, and government agencies to share knowledge and expertise on TB advocacy, budget tracking, and media engagement, among others. Speaking at the event, the representative of an NGO, Policyalert, Mr. Koko Udo , emphasized that despite efforts to combat tuberculosis, funding remains alarming low, stuck at 6.1percent of domestic funding adding that Nigeria ranks number six in the world and number one in Africa in the TB burden, funding for the disease remains at 6.1percent of domestic funding..
This capacity building is to advocate for the release of allocated TB funds by October 2024, facilitate private sector engagement, and promote state health insurance coverage for the TB patents . The workshop featured resource persons who shared expertise in effective advocacy, budgeting and funding for TB in the nation, monitoring and evaluation Officer for the Delta State TB control program.
