The House of Representatives has pledged to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against tuberculosis (TB) through increased funding, policy reforms, and legal protections for patients. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, at the Re-Launch of the Nigeria Parliamentary TB Caucus, emphasized the need for greater awareness, improved healthcare infrastructure, and legislative measures to close treatment gaps.
The House has already increased the national health budget in line with the Abuja Declaration and proposed amendments to the National Health Act, aiming to boost TB funding and expand healthcare access. Rep. Amobi Godwin Ogah, Chair of the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Malaria Control, stressed the need for lawmakers to champion policies that improve TB detection and treatment while ensuring better legal protections for patients.
Ogah highlighted funding shortfalls in global TB response efforts and urged Nigeria to boost domestic resources. He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for committing ₦700 billion to health programs and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for her ₦1 billion donation to TB eradication.
The Nigeria Parliamentary TB Caucus aims to drive policy advocacy, resource mobilisation, and government accountability to meet Nigeria’s 2030 TB elimination goal. The WHO ranks Nigeria seventh globally and second in Africa in TB burden, with 361,000 new cases recorded in 2023 a 26% increase from the previous year.
