By Ahmed Ahmed
In a bid to reduce the burden of Tuberculosis (TB) in their communities, stakeholders have launched a comprehensive awareness campaign, asking community and religious leaders to play a crucial role in the initiative.
The campaign aims to educate citizens about the importance of speaking out and seeking medical attention if they exhibit TB symptoms.
During an experience-sharing and pairing meeting with members of the Cluster of Civil Society Organizations under the TB Northern Nexus cluster in Bauchi, stakeholders emphasized the need for community involvement.
Hajiya Binta Adamu, a stakeholder, stressed the importance of community members informing their neighbors about TB activities, such as home visits and TB tests for those with symptoms like coughs lasting over two weeks, fever, or weight loss.
Mr. Emmanuel Iliya, representative of TB Network, highlighted the campaign’s goal of addressing the stigma associated with TB, encouraging individuals to speak out and seek help without fear of discrimination.
He emphasized that TB is a treatable disease and seeking medical attention is crucial in preventing its spread.
Ambassador Grace Maikudi, Executive Director of LANGA Women Development Initiative, underscored the importance of community engagement in the fight against TB.
She cited successful door-to-door outreaches in slums and overcrowded communities, noting that community leaders’ support has significantly improved TB case finding.
Maikudi called for community cooperation with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and healthcare providers, leading to better health outcomes.
The campaign, organized by the cluster with USAID-Palladium SCALE’s support, aims to educate citizens about TB and encourage those with symptoms to seek medical attention.
[14/08, 14:10] Ahmed Kaigama: Group to engage Bauchi govt. on sustainability of budget for health project
By Ahmed Ahmed
A group, ‘Health System Strengthening Clusters’ says it would engage the Bauchi state government to sustain budgetary provision for Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS) to enhance the healthcare service delivery in the state.
Mr Shuaibu Kobi, the Lead Programme Manager, Bauchi State Network of Civil Society Organizations (BASNEC), stated this on Wednesday in Bauchi during a media round table.
According to him, the Health System Strengthening (HSS) Clusters which consisted of some Civil Society Organisations, was implementing a project titled Improved Quality Healthcare Service Delivery through Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS).
The programme, he said, is a USAID-funded 5-year project implemented by Palladium in collaboration with Nigerian Resource Partners.
“One of the key objectives of the project is to ensure that the health system in Bauchi state is strengthened to improve the healthcare delivery in the state.
“Our advocacy is to engage the Commissioner for Budget and Economy Planning, Commissioner for Health and the House Committee on Health to sustain budgetary provision in the 2025 budget proposal on integrated supportive supervision in the state.
“We will also engage the Ministry of Health, Primary Health Care Development Board to organise a tripartite meeting which involves CSOs/Media, Private Sectors and Government agencies on private sector engagements on ISS contributions.
“We will also engage the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to facilitate LGAs Management to finance ISS in Bauchi State,” he said.
Kobi explained that this is necessary because the Bauchi state government Basket Fund which has been funding the project may likely be exhausted in 2024 and by 2025, there would be gaps in terms of funding, hence, the engagement of the government on budget inclusion.
“If it is not sustained, we are going to have a problem in 2025. So, the government should sustain this in the 2025 budget and if possible, they can even increase the allocation to that sector looking at the inflation rate,” said Kobi.
Also speaking, Ms Zainab Hassan, Programme Officer, Health System Strengthening Cluster, said that the cluster comprised six civil society organisations such as She Alert Care Foundation, Council for Affirmative Action.
Others, she said, included; Life Transformation for Africa Initiative (LIFT 4AFRICA), Women with Disability integrity & Development Initiative (WDIDI), Bauchi State Network of Civil Societies (BASNEC) and Better Life Restoration Initiative (BERI) serving as the anchor organisations.