By Michael Gwarisa in Kadoma
IN a bid to capacitate new parliamentarians on advocacy issues regarding Tuberculosis (TB), the Stop TB Partnership in Zimbabwe recently held a one day TB orientation meeting with newly elected members of parliament mainly from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee (PPC) on health.
The orientation meeting follows the holding of the 2023 harmonized elections in Zimbabwe which ushered in new Members of Parliament (MPs) who now hold key positions.
Speaking in an interview with HealthTimes on the side-lines of the orientation meeting Kadoma, Honourable Josiah Makumbe said the meeting was a first step towards the big task ahead of them regarding pushing for positive change in the TB response.
This is a workshop that is very key in terms of our roles as members of parliament. As parliamentarians, we are learning a lot especially in addressing the gap in terms, information and awareness as representatives of the people,” said Honourable Makumbe.
He also bemoaned the adequate financial resources allocated to the TB response and owed to push for the allocation of more financial resources to TB programming.
“It is our duty to lobby for finance. You find out that government is not giving enough resources to the issue of TB. I want to promise as we go back and start working on the budget for 2025, that is one area we need push for to ensure that the ministry of finance allocates a specific grant that deals with TB.”
Some of the critical areas the parliamentarians promised to push and advocate for include raising awareness on the gaps in TB prevention, treatment, care, funding and political commitment.
Director AIDS and TB Unit in the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), Dr Owen Mugurungi took Parliamentarians said sensitising parliamentarians was a step in the right direction for the TB fight.
“The major objective is to ensure that Parliamentarians are able to understand the issue surrounding TB IN Zimbabwe and to understand that TB just a health problem but goes beyond health to become a socio-economic issues,” said Dr Mugurungi.
According to the STOP TB Partnership Zimbabwe, the primary objective of the meeting is to orient the members of the Parliament Portfolio Committee on Health on TB advocacy and the urgent need for increased political will to strengthen the TB response in Zimbabwe.
Mr Ronald Rungoyi, the STOP TB Partnership Zimbabwe Chairperson said information was key to empowering legislators in their advocacy for TB.
“In 2023, we are glad that the Head of State, President Mnangagwa graced the UN HLM for TB in New York. That shows how serious our government is in terms of addressing the TB. We believe by empowering new members of the portfolio committee on health with information, our voice will be heard and some of the issues we grappling with will be addressed,” said Mr Rungoyi.
TB is a major public health concern in Zimbabwe which continues to cause sickness and death mostly among poor and vulnerable communities. Despite progress in TB response, there are still gaps in TB prevention, treatment, care, funding and political commitment.
