The existing huge funding gap over 64 percent of the $336 million needed yearly to tackle Tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria is threatening country’s target of eradicating tuberculosis by 2020. According to National TB Strategic Plan 2015-2020, about $2 billion us needed to tackle tuberculosis in the country. A breakdown of the amount indicates that about $336 million is needed yearly to tackle tuberculosis. Speaking with journalists last week at a High level Roundtable on Sustainable Financing to End Tuberculosis in Nigeria, Health Financing Advisor for the United States Agency for International Development Health Finance and Governance project, Dr. Frances Ilika, noted that Nigeria was unable to meet the target for 2017, stressing that out of the $336 million needed, the Federal government provided nine percent,
Prof. Mike Ogirima, the President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday called on the members of the association to join active politics ahead of the 2019 general elections. He said the need for them to engage in active politics became necessary to enable them make enhanced contribution to the health sector. Ogirima stated this in a chat with reporters in Abuja. “We have found out that we have few medical workers in politics and bills concerning the health welfare are not receiving adequate attention,” he said.
DCL Laboratory Product Limited has announced a collaboration with Sight Diagnostics Limited (SightDX) Israel, to introduce the Parasight Malaria Detection Platform in Nigeria and Ghana. Through this agreement DCL will market the Parasight Platform in the Nigerian diagnostics market, adding to DCL’s extensive infectious disease diagnostics portfolio in the country. Speaking at a workshop on the introduction of the revolutionary malaria diagnostic machine in Abuja, Chairman, DCL Group, Mr. Charles Anyanwu, said the collaboration is aligned with firm’s purpose of advancing the world of health by bringing technology solutions for malaria diagnosis to West Africa.
The Saudi Garman Hospital, Dubai, is set to partner with the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Nigeria to train doctors on cancer treatment and as well attend to about 200 cancer patients. Addressing journalists in Abuja, the hospitals’ Business Development Executive, Philip Veliyath, said they are setting up a medical camp to enable them carry out cancer screening and treat some of the cases as most of them can actually be treated locally without necessarily travelling abroad.
The Executive Secretary of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, has said that Nigeria is regarded as a polio endemic country due to lack of access in some local government. He stressed the need to improve access in some wards and local governments in the country in order to interrupt wild Poliovirus in the next 18 months warning that a single case of polio can distort all the efforts made so far. Speaking at the 35th meeting of Expert Review Committee ERC meeting in Abuja, Shuaibu observed “if the country is able to interrupt polio in the next 18 months, then we have made considerable progress.”
