OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA CALLING FOR NIGERIA’S COMMITMENT TOWARDS THE GLOBAL FUND’S 6th REPLENISHMENT AND INCREASED DOMESTIC RESOURCES FOR HEALTH
14 February 2019
His Excellency,
President Mohammad Buhari GCFR
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Presidential Villa
Abuja, Nigeria.
Your Excellency,
OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA CALLING FOR NIGERIA’S COMMITMENT TOWARDS THE GLOBAL FUND’S 6th REPLENISHMENT AND INCREASED DOMESTIC RESOURCES FOR HEALTH
Background
Please recall in 2016 when you pledged $10,000,000 and paid the amount in full to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund). We, the undersigned advocates, activists and representatives of communities living with, affected by and vulnerable to the three diseases HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Nigeria, are proud of our country’s contributions since Global Fund’s establishment in 2002 which has saved over 27 million lives and which continue to build sustainable health systems, promote human rights, and advance gender equality.
We have seen how your contributions have catalyzed counterpart donor contributions for health from developed countries. Your government and other countries’ continuous support to the Global Fund sends the clear and strong message that you are committed to providing leadership and care in the fight against the three diseases and improving the lives of those most impacted and vulnerable to them!
The Need to Do More
This year, as the Global Fund embarks on its Sixth Replenishment process to fund the next three-year cycle of implementation for 2020 – 2022. The Global Fund aims to raise at least US $14 billion which will help save 16 million additional lives, cut the mortality rate from HIV, TB and malaria in half, and build stronger health systems by 2023.
Through the replenishment, we will help support the Global Fund’s effort to provide treatment to some of the 37.6 million people now living with HIV, reduce the annual rate of 1.8 million new infections, the annual rate of 10 million new cases of TB, and the annual 216 million cases of malaria. We will also help in reducing the estimated annual deaths from HIV, TB and Malaria as epidemics: HIV is the leading global cause of early death among women ages 15 – 49; causes an estimated 1.8 million deaths annually from TB, 445,000 people – including 285,000 children under the age of five – annually from malaria. This is a pivotal year to get enable us consolidate our gains and be back on track in our fight against these three diseases!
Nigeria is a huge beneficiary from the Global Fund. It is the major funding source for HIV prevention. It has remain for now the major funding source for community related actions for HIV control in Nigeria. The Civil Society therefore calls for the needed Nigeria investment in the Global Fund to support the current national efforts of reaching our jointly set target of elimination of AIDS by 2030. In addition, we will be supporting the country to achieve its commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2030 – delivering health and well-being for all, to achieve universal health coverage, and to build a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable world. With only 11 years left, it is time to step up our game!
Raising at least US$14 billion by the Global Fund for its Sixth Replenishment, will signify merely a maintenance of the current programming and not scaled-up responses to the three epidemics. Technical partners have estimated the total funding need for AIDS, TB and malaria at US$46 billion annually of which, as the Get Back on Track to End the Epidemics report by the Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) estimates, at least US$16.8 to US$18 billion should be invested through the Global Fund for the Sixth Replenishment (2020-2022). This would reflect a minimum increase of 22% compared to the US$11.9 billion raised from the Fifth Replenishment (2017-2019).
An increased Replenishment will provide the Global Fund the ability to scale up its effective responses and get the world back on track to fight the three diseases! This, coupled with increased domestic investments in health will take Nigeria and the world closer to ending AIDS, TB and malaria and epidemics.
Prayer
Your Excellency, our prayers are that:
1. We call on the Government of Nigeria to support and champion the 6th replenishment of the Global Fund by speaking up in support of the Global Fund and highlighting the impact of the Global Fund partnership in Nigeria.
2. We call on Government of Nigeria to lead African countries in announcing an increase of domestic resources for health towards 5% of your GDP over the next 3 years. Such an increase will sustain gains made so far towards universal health coverage and attaining SDG 3 scale up the work already being done. The increased resources will help us get back on track. In addition, increasing resources for health will save the lives of thousands of people of Nigeria. In addition, a healthy nation will be more productive and will grow the economy of Nigeria.
We look forward to your granting of the above prayers.
CC:
1. The Minister of Health, Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH)
2. The Minister, Federal Ministry of Finance
3. The Minister, Federal Ministry of Education
4. The Minister, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development
5. The Minister, Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports
6. The Director-General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA)
7. The Director-General, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA)
8. The Director-General, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)
9. All State Governors
10. All Local Government Chairpersons
11. All Embassies in Nigeria
12. All Partners working with the HIV response in Nigeria
Signatories
1. Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN)
2. Association of Positive Youths Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (APYIN)
3. Association of Women Living with HIV in Nigeria (ASHWAN)
4. African Focus for Youth and Development (AFFFYD)
5. Association of Civil Society of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (ASCAN)
6. Assist Women and Develop Children Initiative
7. Care for Adolescents and Women Development Initiative (CAWDI)
8. Care for Development Centre
9. Centre for Advancement of Liberal Culture and Healthy Living
10. Centre for Life Enhancement and Community Development
11. Centre for Peace Education and Community Development
12. Centre for Research, Advocacy, Women and Youth Development
13. Centre for the Elderly, Youth and Family Development
14. Centre for Youth Transformation and Community Development
15. Citizen Information and Development Initiative
16. Civil Society for Health and Right of Vulnerable Girls and Women in Nigeria (CiSHRWIN)
17. Civil Society For HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN)
18. Civil Society for the Eradication of Tuberculosis in Nigeria (TB Network)
19. College of Health Sciences, Osun State University
20. Communities Action for Peace and Better Health Initiative
21. Community Health Support and Empowerment Initiative (CHSEI)
22. Community Initiative for sustainable development (CISD)
23. Couplet Children Foundation
24. Creative Actors Initiative for Development (CRAID)
25. Crème de la Crème House of Fame foundation Nigeria
26. David Tende Orphan Mission Inc.
27. Dubar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, India
28. Equal Access for Youth and Women Initiative (EUAYWIN)
29. Esther Mallo Women Initiative (EMWI)
30. Febram Health Initiative and Community Development (FEBHICOD)
31. First Step Action for Children Initiative
32. Foundation for Community Health, Rights and Development (FOCHRID)
33. Foundation for social Development and Destitute
34. Foundation for Sustainable Health Promotion and Development
35. GAMMUN Centre for Care and Development Nigeria
36. Global Atlantic Empowerment and Development Initiative
37. Global Public Health, Nigeria
38. Good Health Educators Initiative
39. Health Awareness and Gender Advocacy Initiative (HAGAI)
40. Healthbridge Survival Initiative
41. Helpmeet Foundation for Widows and Single Parents
42. HERWA Community Development Initiative
43. Hope for Tomorrow Children and Women Initiative
44. Hope Givers Care and Support Organisation
45. Idia Renaissance
46. Indomitable Youths Organisation
47. Initiative for Grassroot Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA)
48. Initiative for Peace and Stability (IPAS)
49. Initiative for Rehabilitation and care for Health and Community (INRECA)
50. Initiative Youth Development Organisation (IYDO)
51. International Centre for Advocacy on Right to Health (ICARH)
52. Josemaria Escriva Foundation
53. Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS)
54. Kampus Liberty –Uganda
55. KAP Secretariat
56. Kebotlhokwa Care Centre, Bostwana
57. Let them Live Family Health Foundation
58. Life Repairers International Ministry
59. Malaria Society of Nigeria
60. Media Art and Entertainment Network (MAEN)
61. Mercy Michael Foundation
62. Mercy Vincent Foundation, Maiduguri
63. Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation
64. Mustard Seed Health Awareness Initiative (MSHAI)
65. New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS)
66. Nigeria AIDS Research Network (NARN)
67. Nigeria Labour Congress
68. Nigeria Network of Religious Leaders Living and/or affected by HIV/AIDS
69. Nigerian Diversity Network (NDN)
70. Nigerian Women Agro Allied Farmers Association
71. Nigerian Youth Network on HIV/AIDS (NYNETHA)
72. Noroware Osula Health Foundation
73. Organisation for Concerned Souls International
74. Peer Review Forum (PRF)
75. PHATBASE Initiative for Human development
76. Pilgrims Africa Health Foundation
77. PLAN Health Advocacy and Development Foundation (PLAN Foundation)
78. Positive Action for Treatment Access (PATA)
79. PriHEMAC
80. Public Enlightenment Projects
81. Renewed Initiative Against Diseases and Poverty (RENAGAIDS)
82. Safe Environmental Watch and Health Awareness Initiative (SEWHAI)
83. Shal’dara Health Systems Foundation
84. Society for Life improvement and Development
85. Society for the improvement of Rural People (SIRP)
86. Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAAN)
87. Society for Women and Children with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (SOWCHAN)
88. SOS Children Village
89. Taimako Health Support Initiative (THSiN)
90. The Grace Caring Heart Charity Foundation
91. The Hope Initiative
92. The Initiative for Equal Rights
93. Total Health Empowerment and Development Initiative (THEDI)
94. Treatment Access Mobilizers Initiative (TAM) – Nigeria
95. Ukana West 2 Community Based Health Initiative
96. Village Community Development Initiative
97. West Africa Centre for Public Health and Development
98. Youth for Change Initiative
99. Youth Network on HIV and AIDS in Nigeria
