Decline in funding by United States major challenge in fight against diseases – Summit
A keynote speaker during a one-day summit, Dr. Agomoh Princess Orieji has disclosed that the greatest challenge facing the fight against infectious diseases in Nigeria is the decline in external donor support.
Dr Orieji, who is the Director of Public Health and Disease Control, Abia State Ministry of Health, lamented the gradual withdrawal of funding by the United States and the scaling down of financial support by other global partners.
She stated this during a one-day infectious disease summit organized in Umuahia by Abia State Ministry of health, in collaboration with National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs control program and Trinity healthcare.
She said that programmes for HIV, TB, Malaria and other disease areas of importance were facing critical financing gaps and called for urgent mobilisation of domestic resources.
“We also know that Nigeria is a double burden country, therefore beyond infectious diseases, we are also battling the rising tide of non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes and cancers.
“We must look inward for sustainable solutions to ensure that our interventions reach the communities that need them most”, she said.
Welcoming participants from 36 States and other partners, Abia State Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche said that the administration of Governor Alex Otti was improving access to quality healthcare for all Abia people.
He called for deep-dive collaboration in effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases using available options that were evidence-based and affordable.
The summit synergised on efforts to end infectious diseases, collaboration against HIV, viral hepatitis, syphilis and malaria in Abia State.
