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By Chukwuma Umeorah
The ATM Networks, a coalition of civil society organisations, has urged the government to implement systemic reforms in primary healthcare delivery to address the high prevalence of malaria, tuberculosis (TB), and HIV infections in Nigeria.
Speaking during a media briefing in Lagos on Friday, Ifelunwa Aipoh, Lagos State TB Network Coordinator and Team Leader of ATM Network, emphasized the need for a multifaceted approach.
The ATM Networks, comprising the TB Network, the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), and the Association of Civil Society Organizations on Malaria, Immunization, and Nutrition (ACOMIN), are implementing the COVID-19 Response Mechanism/Resilient and Sustainable System for Health (C19RM) Grant to address these systemic barriers. Supported by the Global Fund, the grant incorporates a Community-Led Monitoring approach, engaging stakeholders to identify gaps in healthcare delivery, prioritize needs, and advocate for improved services.
Aipoh highlighted improved infrastructure, community engagement, and strengthened healthcare systems as critical to tackling Nigeria’s public health crisis. She noted that this was imperative given that the country ranked among the top thirty globally for TB and TB-HIV co-infections.
She called for “the expansion of the National Health Insurance programmes to cover vulnerable populations, ensuring equitable access to healthcare services and reducing the financial burden on the poor.” She also stressed the need for improved funding, education programmes, adequate medical facilities, collaboration with stakeholders, community participation, adherence to evidence-based research, and private sector involvement.
She revealed that despite free treatment programmes for diseases like TB, hidden costs such as transportation deter many patients from accessing care. Out-of-pocket expenses significantly contribute to Nigeria’s high under-five mortality rate, as impoverished households are discouraged from seeking medical attention.
With funding from the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism/Resilient and Sustainable System for Health (C19RM) Grant, the ATM Networks have implemented community-led monitoring initiatives to address systemic gaps. This approach involves local stakeholders in identifying barriers to service delivery, prioritizing needs, and advocating improvements. The strategy is currently active across 21 states, covering 105 local government areas, 315 wards, and 315 health facilities.
In Lagos State, the initiative has achieved significant milestones in 2024, including restoring power supply to primary healthcare centres (PHCs), establishing a diagnostic laboratory workspace at Igbede PHC, and resolving infrastructure issues in multiple facilities. PHCs have also benefited from donations of medical equipment, consumables, and essential supplies to enhance service delivery and patient care.
The Lagos State Government has commended these interventions. Ogunmokon Dorcas of the State Ministry of Health, Directorate of Disease Control, acknowledged the Network’s impact on the fight against TB at the grassroots.
