…As NEPWHAN, harps on domestication of anti-stigma, discrimination law

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and other relevant Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), on Tuesday called for local financing for HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria diseases respectively.

This is just as the Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS In Nigeria, (NEPWHAN), has harped on the need for domestication of the anti-stigma, discrimination law.

The health agencies disclosed this during the CSO financing dialogue held in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, the National Coordinator of NEPWHAN, Abdul Kadir Ibrahim, said it was pertinent for stakeholders to see how the nation can mobilize local resources for AIDS, TB and Malaria and for states across the country to revisit the HIV anti stigma and discrimination to be domesticated by state Houses of Assembly.

Abdul maintained that “the US government policy shift, has indeed given us the kind of strong signal that we need to look inward and also see how we could identify internal resources to accommodate and finance our health progress, most especially HIV that has to do with our community members.

“Currently, about 80 to 85 percent of HIV funding is being supported through foreign aid, most especially with a large chunk from the US government and also about 35 percent from the global fund and other funding sources.

“In all these, there is only less than 15 percent from the government of Nigeria”.

He said, to ensure progress, there is need to capture people in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and also ensure sustainability.

“It is also expedient to know that someone is paying for the free drugs that comes to us, and these are tax payers’ money from those countries. So, we need to really look inward and provide solutions for these challenges. HIV is still much more with us and there are still gaps to fill in so as to give us a headway to ending it by the year 2030”.

On his part, Chairman House of Representatives Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria, Amobi Godwin Ogah, said the stakeholders dialogue will advance conversations that will lead to actionable strategies and solutions towards the mobilization of domestic financing for HIV and TB response in Nigeria and for the domestication of the HIV anti stigma law in the country.

Ogah said Nigeria needs an estimated 8 billion US dollars annually to sustain the response against HIV/AIDS. But in the face of recent changes in the global funding landscape, occasioned by the suspension of funding for Africa health systems by the US government, further gaps in funding will impact negatively on the country’s fight against HIV/AIDS and TB.

“It is my opinion that the suspension of funding of Africa’s health systems by the US government is a blessing in disguise because I believe that the Nigerian government must take the lead in funding for the response to public health threats such as HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria and not rely solely on foreign interventions.

“Since the withdrawal of funding, Nigerians both in public and private space have begun conversations on how to rejig our financing architecture. So far, many brilliant and innovative solutions on how to mobilize domestic funding for the response against HIV and TB in Nigeria has been rolled out.

“But there is a need to streamline some of these solutions and if need be, provide a legislative framework for their implementation”.

In a remark, Dr. Murphy Akpu from UN AID, said challenges of HIV affects every part of human lives, stressing that the government need to take deliberate actions to address these challenges affecting the country.

He also harped on local production of drugs to solve the HIV challenges in the country.

AHF Country Programme Director Ejezie, said the engagements is necessary for participants to recommend actionable points in addressing these challenges beclouding current challenges.

He said AHF will continue to provide support for partners to contribute effectively in addressing HIV challenges.