Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, has raised the alarm over lack of adequate funding for the health sector, lamenting that the menace of Tuberculosis was not provided for in the 2015 Budget of the ministry.
Adewole, who spoke in Abuja during an interactive meeting with the House of Representatives Standing Committee on HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control, said the priority of his ministry will be primary healthcare and a quest for the health sector to be funded appropriately and promoting public health education.
“No budget for TB this year and yet HIV/AIDS is driving TB and TB is driving HIV/AIDS,” the minister said.
He also pointed out the need for legislation on the tiers of healthcare services of primary, secondary and tertiary, saying that the responsibility of each level should be spelt to enhance service delivery.
“I will plead with our legislators to look into this and specify who does what,” Adewole noted.
He told the lawmakers that the lack of National Health Agenda for the country is not helping matters, adding that Nigeria is two years behind the test and treat ideal for disease.
Earlier, the chairman of the committee, Hon. Davematics Ombugadu, told the minister and his entourage that the essence of the interactive session was to familiarise with one another ahead of the oversight visits of the committee.
Source: ThisDay Live