Abia TB Program Commits to Addressing Service Gaps as Community-Led Monitoring Team Pushes for Stronger TB Response.

Abia TB Program Commits to Addressing Service Gaps as Community-Led Monitoring Team Pushes for Stronger TB Response.

On 10th September 2026, The State Advocacy Team, comprising the Program Team of Synergy for Health Rights and Education (SHRE), the State Programs and Monitoring & Evaluation Officer of the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), the State Coordinator of ACOMIN, and the media, conducted an advocacy visit to the Program Manager of the Abia State TB and Leprosy Control Program, Dr. Ahamefula Obioha. The visit was facilitated by SHRE under the Global Fund-supported GC7 Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) project, in collaboration with NEPWHAN.

The engagement provided an opportunity to present and discuss key findings emerging from CLM implementation, particularly gaps affecting tuberculosis (TB) service availability, accessibility, quality, and continuity of care across selected health facilities in Abia State. The identified gaps are intended to inform evidence-based stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and appropriate programmatic interventions.

In his remarks, the NEPWHAN State Programs and Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, Chief Whyte Ikocha, explained that the CLM project focuses on identifying service delivery gaps and challenges across the three priority disease areas—HIV, TB, and malaria. He noted that findings generated through community monitoring provide critical evidence for engaging relevant stakeholders and advocating for improvements in health service delivery. He commended Dr. Obioha for his willingness to engage with the CLM team and contribute to addressing identified gaps within the TB program.

The SHRE Program Officer, Franklyn Onyebuchi, appreciated the Abia State Government, through the State TB Program Manager, for its demonstrated commitment to addressing public health challenges. He presented key TB-related gaps identified through CLM, including limited access to comprehensive TB interventions at some Primary Healthcare Centres, particularly Ogbodiukwu Primary Healthcare Centre and Ahiaukwu Health Post.

Mr. Franklyn further highlighted the need to equip health facilities with adequate TB sample collection materials, including appropriate sample collection bottles, and strengthen the capacity of Officers-in-Charge (OICs) to effectively implement TB-related responsibilities. He also raised concerns regarding treatment arrangements for TB-positive clients receiving treatment at Government Cottage Hospital Abayi, particularly clients who travel from their homes to access treatment and the potential risk of TB transmission within their communities where infection prevention and control measures may be inadequate.

Responding to the issues raised, the Program Manager, Abia State TB and Leprosy Control Program, Dr. Ahamefula Obioha, commended the CLM team for the depth of work undertaken and the use of community-generated evidence to identify health system gaps. He encouraged the team to expand CLM coverage and monitoring across all 17 Local Government Areas of the state to generate broader evidence for strengthening TB programming.

Dr. Obioha clarified that TB diagnosis and treatment services are provided free of charge across hospitals and health centres in Abia State and assured the team that facilities found to be charging clients for TB services would be identified and appropriately addressed. He further clarified that clients who travel from home to receive treatment are predominantly drug-resistant TB patients, while drug-sensitive TB patients are referred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, which serves as a designated treatment site. He emphasized that TB treatment, from initiation through completion, is provided free of charge.

The Program Manager also expressed his commitment to mobilising relevant government agencies and implementing partners to address the identified gaps and strengthen the overall TB response in the state. He noted that Abia State has an established structure for TB control and expressed confidence that stronger collaboration with community-led monitoring actors would further improve program performance.

The engagement concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen collaboration between the State TB Program, CLM actors, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that identified service delivery gaps are addressed and that communities across Abia State have improved access to quality, equitable, and responsive TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care services.

Dr. Obioha appreciated the team’s commitment and dedication to community-led monitoring and indicated that the contribution of the team would be recognised by the state government.