Joint National Dialogue on Paediatric TB and HIV Response in Nigeria

As part of efforts to improve Paediatric TB and HIV case finding in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of health (FMoH) through the NTBLCP and National HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NASCP) convened a stakeholders dialogue on improving Pediatric TB and HIV response. This was implemented with support from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria (GFATM).

The dialogue, which happened in Abuja on the 12th of January 2023, gathered participants from Federal and State Governments, the GFATM, WHO, USAID, United States Centre for Disease Control (US CDC), United States Department of Defence (US DOD), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Academia and other key partners. Speaking at the event, the Director and National Coordinator of the NTBLCP, Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike, stressed the need for all stakeholders to step up the fight against pediatric TB and HIV in Nigeria. He equally stressed that for Nigeria to achieve Universal Health Coverage, the children should not be left behind hence all stakeholders need to “walk the talk.” The dialogue culminated in the development of an action plan for accelerating pediatric TB and HIV response in Nigeria, that is intended to fast-track the country’s drive toward the elimination of both diseases in children.