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"The Wellbeing Foundation Africa's Abuja Mission welcomes the United Nations Interagency Task Force UNATF High-Level Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) / Tuberculosis Joint Programming Mission to Nigeria - Urges Strong Workplan To Beat NCDs, Stop TB"


Nigeria's pioneer women and children's health non-profit, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa has welcomed the United Nations Interagency Task Force UNATF on High-Level Non Communicable Diseases and Tuberculosis Joint Programming Mission to Nigeria - Urges Strong Workplan To Beat NCDs, Stop TB.

The UN Interagency Task Force on the prevention and control of NCDs was established in 2013 by the UN Economic and Social Council ECOSOC, to which the Wellbeing Foundation Africa is in special consultative status, aimed at bringing together over 40 UN agencies and other development partners to leverage on each of their mandates and areas of expertise in providing support for NCDs and TB prevention and control activities.

 

The UNATF visit, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Health led by Honorable Minister Professor Osagie Ehanire brought together global development partners, state and non-state actors with civil society organisations with the mutual target of specifically highlighting the scale of the problems facing Nigeria with regards to NCDs and TB, within the nation's development agenda, and discussed potential solutions in line with best practice in other countries. The mission will also highlight specific actions for individual ministries, the UN Country Team and development partners in mounting a whole of government and whole of society response to NCDs and to TB, within the context of universal health coverage and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

NCDs especially cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes are now the leading cause of death globally and exerts the greatest impact on low and middle income countries including Nigeria. Nigeria also ranks highest in the global burden of sickle cell disease.

 

Similarly, with tuberculosis as an age long disease that has remained endemic in different parts of the world, Nigeria ranks 1st in Africa and 6th globally among the 30 high TB burden countries in the world. To tackle the looming NCDs and TB epidemic, NCD and TB targets were included in the 2030 SDGs, and discussed at the 3rd United Nations High-Level Meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in 2018.

 

In a statement, the Foundation's Director of Operations Lucy Ikonne said:

"The Wellbeing Foundation Africa is committed, as a critical stakeholder in the prevention and control of NCDs and TB and as a member of the Technical Working Group to Stop TB, to participate in the key activity proposed by the mission, at the stakeholders meeting to discuss the much needed ongoing joint advocacy, private sector/CSO engagement, and development assistance for strengthening NCD and TB control efforts and the multi-sectoral coordination mechanism."

 

"Our Founder H.E Toyin Saraki is highly encouraged that the Foundation is joining multi-sectoral development and global health stakeholders in pushing together to bridge the divides between non-communicable diseases and tuberculosis, a process that she hopes will generate a strong workplan to beat NCDs and stop TB, delivering another key step towards health for all Nigerians"

"The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, represented by Abuja Mission Lead, Dr Otun Adewale, and Gender Program Lead Ms Deborah Golan, is pleased to support Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health in realising its pledge to reach 1.17 million people with TB care, and 2.3 million people by 2030, with TB prevention treatment as committed by the nation at the United Nations High Level meeting on TB."

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