The recent cut in U.S. aid is exacerbating Nigeria’s already wide tuberculosis (TB) funding gap, raising concerns about the country’s ability to sustain vital TB case-finding and treatment services.
With $404 million required for TB services in 2025, the TB programme is at risk of severe disruptions unless alternative funding sources are secured, LEADERSHIP learnt.
Already, from January to March this year, a $5 million funding gap has emerged due to the executive order from the U.S. government. The Global Fund, a key TB programme partner, has only $89 million allocated for 2025, and the figure plummets to just $16 million for 2026.
The country had aimed to identify and place 499,000 Nigerians on treatment in 2024, but with only 418,000 identified and placed on treatment; LEADERSHIP learnt that the resources meant for 2025 have been prematurely depleted. Consequently, some of the TB drugs intended for 2025 have already been utilised, heightening concerns about shortages.
However, the Executive Secretary, Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) of the Global Fund, Mr. Tajudeen Ibrahim, told LEADERSHIP that there was no immediate drug crisis. He clarified that the U.S. aid cut primarily affects TB case-finding activities in 18 states where U.S. support overlaps with Global Fund programmes. He said TB services in the remaining states remain largely funded by the Global Fund.
“The only thing that the U.S. pronouncement affected is the activities, case finding activities in only 18 states where they co-locate with global fund support. Apart from these 18 states, the other states, everything is still going on fine.
Because it’s global funds that is heavily funding the activities in those states,” he explained. Nigeria’s TB response heavily relies on international donors, with
domestic contributions remaining abysmally low. Between 2018 and 2023, domestic funding for TB ranged between 6 per cent and 8 per cent annually, while international funding fluctuated between 16 per cent and 32 per cent. Funding gaps remained consistently high, reaching 70 per cent in 2023.
The Federal Ministry of Health highlighted that about 50 per cent of the country’s health facilities provide TB treatment, and just 48 per cent of local government areas have GeneXpert MTB/RIF machines for diagnosis.
TB remains a major public health threat in Nigeria and globally. The 2024 WHO Global TB Report ranks Nigeria 1st in Africa and 6th globally among the 30 high-burden TB countries, with an estimated 499,000 new TB cases were recorded in 2023. Nigeria also accounts for 20 per cent of Africa’s TB burden and 18 per cent of TB deaths, with 71,000 deaths recorded in 2023.
Despite these challenges, the Director of Public Health at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Godwin Ntadom, noted that Nigeria achieved its highest-ever TB notification rate in 2024, identifying over 400,000 cases out of the estimated 506,000 TB cases, translating to a 79 per cent treatment coverage.
TB detection among children has also improved significantly, increasing from 8,293 cases in 2018 to 43,000 in 2024, he added.
However, Dr. Ntadom noted that a substantial number of undiagnosed TB cases continue to fuel community transmission. Drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) remains a serious concern, with low enrollment of diagnosed cases into treatment programmes, he said.
World Tuberculosis Day (WTD) is commemorated annually on March 24 to raise awareness, showcase progress, mobilise resources, and reinforce
commitments to eradicating TB. This year’s theme is “YES! WE CAN END TB – COMMIT. INVEST. DELIVER”, with the slogan “WE FIT DO AM”.
Dr. Ntadom said that the theme aligns with the Federal Ministry of Health’s strategy to engage all sectors in the fight against TB.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving WHO’s global End TB targets, emphasising the need for increased domestic investment in TB services.
Reiterating the urgent need for increased domestic funding to sustain Nigeria’s fight against tuberculosis (TB) as donor support continues to decline, the Stop TB Partnership Nigeria has emphasised the importance of local investment in TB eradication efforts.
The Acting Board Chair of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Dr. Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, stressed that the country’s TB response was at a critical juncture, as donor support declines.
She urged policymakers, private sector stakeholders, and civil society organisations to intensify their advocacy for increased domestic resources to sustain TB prevention and treatment services.
“As we all know, in light of the dwindling donor support, we need to intensify our advocacy for domestic resources for TB now more than ever. Let us work together, push for stronger policies, and drive initiatives that focus on TB prevention, detection, and treatment,”
she said.
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