House Committee On TB, HIV To Reduce Burden On Nigeria

The House of Representives Commitee on HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis says it will ensure adequate implementation of legislations geared towards reducing the burden of these diseases in the country.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Amobi Godwin, who stated this while briefing the house press corps at the National Assembly in Abuja assured that where such legislations are inadequate, the committee would work to provide the needed amendment to such existing legislations for the general good of the Nigerian people.

According to him, the committee is not unmindful of the challenges being faced by Nigerians in the fight against these ailments especially in the fight against and the control of Malaria in the country which appears to defile solutions.

Speaking on Malaria prevalence in the country,. Mr Godwin decried that the death toll from the disease in the country which makes up nearly a third of the world’s 619,000 malaria deaths a year said the high rate of fake malaria drugs will be looked into to avoid further deaths recorded.

In the area of HIV and AIDs the Commitee Chairman, observed that while Nigeria continues to fight the spread of HIV, AIDS, the committee is worried with the level of awareness on the prevailing spread of the disease hence the need to work towards carrying out oversight functions on MDAs under the purview of the Ministry of Health.

For tuberculosis, the committee chairman stated that though Nigeria recorded a gain in its fight against TB in 2020, the country still ranks sixth among 30 TB High Burden countries in the world and has the highest burden in Africa.

As such he said, the committee, will carry out a conscious campaign within its legislative function to ensure that all TB Centers in the country are well funded to carry out their mandate.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji