By Aaron Ossai
The House of Representatives yesterday resolved to investigate over $1.8 billion and $2.8 billion received by Nigeria from Global Fund and USAID from 2021 to 2025 for response against HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria and for supporting resilient and sustainable systems for health.
It mandated its Standing Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control to investigate the utilization of the grants received by Nigeria from 2021 to 2025 for disease control to the tune of $4.6 billion and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
The House also resolved to mandate the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare to provide the implementation plan and approvals granted by the National Assembly for the utilisation and expenditure of these grants.
These resolutions followed adoption of a motion seeking to investigate the utilization of the funds sponsored by Hon. Philip Agbese at yesterday’s plenary.
Leading debate on general principles of the motion, Hon. Agbese noted that Nigeria received an estimated $1.8 Billion dollars in grants from Global Fund from 2021 to 2025 for the fight against HIV, TB and Malaria in addition to over $2.8 billion dollars received from USAID to cover health threats such as HIV, malaria, polio, and tuberculosis between 2022 and 2024.
He also noted that the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, founded in January 22, 2002 as an independent, multilateral financing entity designed to raise a significant resource and accelerate efforts to end the HIV, TB, and malaria epidemics in the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
That the House is also aware that Nigeria also received over $6 billion dollars in health assistance from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief from 2021 to 2025 to fight HIV/AIDS and build capacity of Health and community Systems.
Also Notes that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is responsible for the utilization of the grants from USAID while the Country Coordinating Mechanism Nigeria is responsible for utilizing and implementing the Global Fund grants in Nigeria.
He expressed concern that with this huge investment in the Nation’s response to HIV, TB and Malaria, Nigeria still bears great burden in all these public health threats. In 2023 approximately 15,000 AIDS-related deaths occurred among Nigerian children aged 0-14years, while 51,000 AIDS-related deaths were recorded in the country with Nigeria ranking third globally in HIV deaths, and also with the highest number of HIV cases in West and Central Africa. In the area of TB Nigeria ranks first in Africa and sixth in the world accounting for 4.6% global TB burden, while Nigeria bears the highest malaria burden globally, accounting for an estimated 26.6% of global cases and 31% of malaria deaths.
He said the House was worried that if something drastic is not done to reassess and re-evaluate the utilization and implementation of these grants with the 8th replenishment in view, Nigeria may continue to suffer huge burdens and continue to lose her population to these diseases, thereby failing in the elimination of HIV, TB, and Malaria by year 2030.
At the end of a robust debate on the general principles of the motion, majority of members at plenary unanimously adopted its prayers.
