By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Civil Society for Eradication of Tuberculosis in Nigeria (TB Network), Friday, said it efforts to ensure total eradication of gender based violence and other issues were yielding fruits in Anambra State.
TB Network, which disclosed this at her April review meeting held at Awka, the Anambra State Capital, reports that community leaders and other stakeholders were keying into the projects, even as their efforts had also led to resuscitation of several moribund or underutilised primary health centres.
They were engaged as one of the civil society networks on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (ATM Networks) by the National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA) to implement the Civil Society and community component of the COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM) grant in 21 states of which Anámbra State is inclusive.
But the network also focused on gender based violence, post violence care, response to human rights and gender related barriers to services, community led monitoring and advocacy
and social mobilisation.
Speaking at the meeting, the State Coordinator, TB Network, Anambra State, Comrade Ifeyinwa Unachukwu, explained that the project, Global Fund is presently implementing a one-year C19RM Grant for the period January 2024 to December 2024 through a principal recipient, the NACA while a ATM Networks is supporting the intervention by implementing the community component of the grant aimed at reducing factors that result to disruption of essential health services due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in preparedness for future pandemics and epidemics.
"We coordinate Community Based Organizations (CBOs) efforts on oversight, sustained advocacy to decision makers particularly at the state and LGAs levels, monitoring and evaluating results, participating in policy formulation, and in mobilizing resources for COVID-19 and ATM health interventions.
"The Community-led Monitoring and Advocacy efforts will be implemented at the LGA and state level by 15 CBOs through Community-Led Monitoring Teams (3 members of the CLMT per LGA). Each Community-Led Monitoring Team (CLMT) comprises i) a representative of the Ward Development Committee (WDC) or CHIPs, ii) a Community Representative and iii) a Program staff of the CBO.
" The issues that arise from the activities of the CLMTs that cannot be resolved at the community level are escalated to serve as advocacy issues on which the State Advocacy Team will engage with relevant MDAs and stakeholders for possible resolution at the state level," she added.
At the meeting, members of the team, including the programme officers and representatives of CBOs gave updates of their activities, across the five selected LGAs, assuring that they would not relent in ensuring that the programme record huge success.
Also speaking, Pharmacist Nonso Ndibe, the State Malaria Control Officer, from the State Ministry of Health; Mr Samuel Ololo, Programme Officer, C19 RSSH for the project in Anambra State; and Gladys Ezembu, the State Coordinator, Network of Persons Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, NEPWHAN praised the TB Network for working tirelessly, even as they charged them to double their efforts.