Government to commit domestic resources towards TB fight in next year’s budget
The Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has disclosed that government will show allocate domestic resources towards the fight against tuberculosis in the next year’s budget.
Chiponda disclosed this on Thursday in Lilongwe during World TB Day commemorated under the theme: ” Invest to end TB. Save lives!”
The emphasis for this year’s commemoration was on an urgent need to invest the necessary resources to reinvigorate the fight against the disease.
The minister said a large amount of resources towards the fight against tuberculosis with 90 per cent of the total amount comes from Global Fund.
While World Health Organization (WHO) is providing technical support.
“As government, we need to contribute a certain amount as a commitment so that by 2030 tuberculosis should be the thing of the past,” Chiponda said.
She said her ministry is engaging the treasury to allocate the resources to fight the disease.
Currently, Chiponda said, Malawi continues to register reduction in the number of people suffering from TB.
According to her, incidences of TB in the country have declined from 338 per 100,000 in 2010 to 141 in 2020 representing a 58 percent reduction over 10 years.
The minister, if the country maintains the trajectory in the next 10 years than Malawi would be very close to attain the End TB target on reducing incidence.
WHO Acting Representative, Dr Janet Kayita, commended Malawi for the progress made in the fight against tuberculosis.
“There is significant investments the government has made towards the reduction of tuberculosis,” she said.
Kayita therefore called upon government to increase domestic financing for TB control activities over time.
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