Ahead of International Day of Social Justice, United Nations hosted entity based in Geneva, Switzerland, Stop TB Partnership today has called on high burden countries for tuberculosis (TB) to invest in interventions that overcome the prevalent human rights barriers that currently diminish the effectiveness of national TB control efforts and ensure social justice equality for all.

This call comes as new evidence, published in a recent peer-reviewed publication, showing that stigma and discrimination against people affected by TB are the leading human rights barriers impeding access to TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and support.

The Executive Director, Stop TB Partnership, Dr. Lucica Ditiu, stated that the review of recent Community, Rights and Gender assessment findings from 20 countries mean that this for the first time shows evidence needed that we must have a TB response centered on social justice and human rights.

The TB Community, Rights and Gender (CRG) assessment is a community-based participatory research tool that assesses and highlights the significance of human rights, law and gender in the TB response.

It aims to establish recommendations to overcome the barriers and challenges on the journey to accessing TB services and completing treatment.

To focus the TB response on communities, rights and gender, the Stop TB Partnership recently launched round 11 of its Challenge Facility for Civil Society (CFCS). With US$9 million available for grants, it is the largest round yet. Over the past 15 years, the CFCS has grown from $700,000 to $9 million in yearly funding to help TB-affected communities and civil society organizations promote and protect human rights and gender equality. Despite the steady increase in funding still, only a quarter of the funding needs are met.

Out of the 90 countries with either high burdens of TB, TB/HIV coinfection or multidrug/rifampicin-resistant TB, more than 30 have yet to conduct a CRG assessment. The Stop TB Partnership calls on all countries to complete such assessments and then develop and fund national Action Plans to mitigate, overcome and eliminate human rights and gender-related barriers to TB services, including stigma and discrimination.

In 2020, the Stop TB Partnership even recommended that completed such assessments and action plans be prerequisites for countries to obtain grants from donors like the Global Fund.

“Too often, people with TB are forgotten and neglected, and so are their rights,” added Ani Herna Sari, TB Survivor and Executive Director, Rekat Indonesia.

“Attention to TB and human rights, including stigma and discrimination, is essential. But beyond attention, we need elevated financial resources. Without a fully funded TB response, this airborne disease will continue to kill more than 4100 people every day and everyone should feel accountable for this.”

The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on Tuesday inducted 341 medical doctors and 16 dentists.

The chairman of the council, Prof. Abba Hassan, while performing the ceremony, urged the inductees to operate in compliance with the ethics of the profession.

Hassan, who congratulated the inductees on their successful induction, urged them not to endanger lives.

He described the medical profession as a noble one designed to advance the existence of lives through quality and passionate service delivery.

“You must not endanger lives, this is not for money-making. “You will not be poor either but always display professionalism in the discharge of your duties,” he said.

Hassan urged them to always prioritize human safety before anything, warning that industrial action without due course was inimical to the tenets of the profession.

Earlier, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, described induction as a roadmap to improved healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

Ehanire, represented by Malam Mahmuda Mamman, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health expressed the preparedness of the ministry to improve the quality of health care delivery.

The Minister, who congratulated the inductees, said that the ministry would continue to advance the welfare of medical practitioners to greater heights.