By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Forum have called on governments at all levels to invested more on global fund replenishment for Malaria, HIV-AIDS and Tuberculosis.
They made the call yesterday at the Civil Society Forum on 7th Global Fund Replenishment Conference in Abuja .
Speaking at the Forum, Executive Secretary, Country Coordinating Mechanism of Global Fund, Dozie Ezechukwu, said the global fund 7th replenishments target for 2023 – 2025 is 18billion US dollars which is targeted to save 44million lives through partnership fund.
He said it’s seventh replenishment must have more funding for current programme in order to expand its mandate to cover future pandemics.
He said Nigeria is the highest recipient of global funds.
“Nigeria is a collection of states. And all the support we give for Nigeria is for the states. States need to compliment the effort of the global fund“.
He said the fund is not to replace the National system but to compliment what the country is investing in.
“ Governments need to increase investment in health, so that in the next 3-5years time, we don’t need to work on the same issue again“.
He explained that the contribution matters because if governments contribute low, there will be more HIV Infections, slow economic growth and higher long term growth in health care costs.
He noted that if governments increased contributions”there will be healthier, productive people, stronger economy and low healthcare expenditure.
Also speaking, Director Advocacy , policy and Marketing-Africa Bureau, Oluwakemi Gbadamosi said, Advocacy is very key, saying CSOs have come far to the responses of HIV, TB and Malaria. They are at the center of it as well as community.
“Beyond asking for government to invest in global fund, CSOs are crucial for mobilization.
The $18billion is just minimal, governments have a part to play in responding to these diseases of HIV, Malaria and TB.
Gbadamosi noted that CSOs acknowledged what the governments is doing at all levels .
“Governments is committed to health to contribute to domestic mobilization, so that we don’t totally depend on donors”, she said .
She stated that government have a part to play and to respond to disease of HIV, Malaria and TB.
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