Demand urgent release of health funds to avert ebola spread

The House of Representatives is seeking to bring the control of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria under a unified institutional framework through a proposed amendment to the law establishing the National Agency for the Control of HIV and AIDS (NACA).
The bill also proposes a dedicated trust fund to support treatment, medication and other interventions against the three diseases.

The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, stated this on Wednesday at a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Infectious Diseases at the National Assembly, Abuja.

The hearing attracted stakeholders from across the country, including commissioners for health from various states, representatives of government agencies, development partners, disease-control programmes, civil society organisations and affected communities.

Represented by Mansur Soro, who represents Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency, Abbas said the proposed amendment offered an opportunity to improve coordination, funding and accountability in Nigeria’s response to infectious diseases.

“A nation cannot fully realise its economic potential when preventable and treatable diseases continue to deprive its citizens of life, productivity and opportunity,” he said.

The bill, identified as House Bill 2523, seeks to amend the National Agency for the Control of HIV and AIDS Act, 2004, to extend the agency’s mandate to tuberculosis and malaria.

Abbas cautioned that expanding the agency’s responsibilities must not weaken the specialised capacity needed to tackle each disease.

“The real test of this Bill is not whether it brings three disease-control programmes under one institutional umbrella, but whether it strengthens our ability to prevent infections, provide timely diagnosis, deliver effective treatment and save lives,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to ensure that the additional responsibilities would be matched with adequate funding, skilled personnel and clear accountability measures.

Chairman of the House Committee on Infectious Diseases, Amobi Godwin Ogah, said the proposed legislation was intended to improve coordination, mobilise sustainable domestic resources and strengthen accountability in the fight against the three diseases.

Ogah disclosed that about two million Nigerians were living with HIV. He added that Nigeria accounted for roughly 25 per cent of malaria cases worldwide and about 30 per cent of global malaria deaths.

He also noted that Nigeria remained among the countries with the highest tuberculosis burden.

The proposed law would establish dedicated offices for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria within the expanded agency, with separate leadership structures and budget lines to preserve disease-specific responsibilities.

It also provides for an HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Trust Fund to support medicines, treatment and other interventions.

Ogah said the fund would help strengthen domestic financing and reduce the vulnerability of disease-control programmes to fluctuations in external assistance.

He acknowledged the contributions of the Global Fund and other development partners but stressed that Nigeria needed to take greater responsibility for sustaining its health programmes.

“If we are serious about sustainability, then domestic resource mobilisation, counterpart funding and financial accountability must be central to our deliberations, not afterthoughts,” he said.

The committee chairman maintained that the proposed reform was not intended to undermine existing institutions or discard the expertise developed over the years. Instead, it would provide a coordinated framework for planning, financing and assessing the country’s response to the three diseases.

The public hearing followed an earlier intervention by the House over the reported Ebola case in Abuja involving a woman who arrived from Uganda on October 20, 2026.

At Wednesday’s plenary, presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, lawmakers urged the Federal Government to release all outstanding appropriated funds for relevant health agencies without further delay to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness and prevent the spread of the disease.

The motion, sponsored by Ogah, called for the immediate mobilisation of federal, state and private health institutions to remain on high alert and take measures to prevent further transmission.

The lawmakers also urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to assess the resources required to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness and response capacity.

Addressing journalists after the public hearing, Ogah said the committee would continue to engage relevant authorities and monitor emergency funding, medical supplies, surveillance systems and operational coordination.

Ogah called for intensified surveillance, contact tracing, prompt testing and isolation of suspected cases, as well as adequate protective equipment for frontline health workers.

He also stressed the need for vigilance at international airports, land borders, healthcare facilities and other critical points of entry and exposure.

The committee, he said, would pursue further legislative and policy interventions where necessary to address gaps in Nigeria’s preparedness and response.

In a message to Nigerians, the lawmaker urged the public to remain calm