By Emmanuel Antswen
The Benue Lawyers Alert (BLA) has called on government at all levels to provide affordable and equitable healthcare services for Nigerians.
The President of BLA, Mr Rommy Mom, made the call at a two-day advocacy workshop to strengthen efforts toward equitable access to healthcare services in Nigeria, on Wednesday in Makurdi.
He explained that the workshop was organised in collaboration with the Media, Health and Rights Initiative of Nigeria (MHR).
Mom said the workshop aimed at strengthening the capacity of key stakeholders toward advocating for improved government interventions in the health sector, particularly for women and girls in rural communities.
He also called for both local and national action toward a sustainable Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) treatment in the face of dwindling foreign support.
The president added that the initiative was part of the Gender Equality Fund (GEF) project, tagged ”Law, Rights and Community Empowerment for Social Change in TB, HIV, and Malaria Response”
“Foreign organisations will start shutting down their offices and programmes; meaning no more foreign aids for Nigeria.
“So, we need to develop a more sustainable plan toward addressing these concerns within.
“This is a serious issue and Nigeria must urgently take steps, if not our people will continue to die on daily basis,”he said.
He said that the activity would strengthen advocacy, amplify voices and promote equitable healthcare access for marginalised communities.
Mom said that the exercise would provide a platform for conversation on the role of government toward addressing existing gaps in the health sector.
He added that the move would also strengthen the capacity of journalists, Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and other critical stakeholders toward influencing policy change in the health sector. NAN
