From Sidi Ibrahim Kaulahi, Gusau
The Zamfara State Tuberculosis Network Advocacy Team (SAT) has engaged the TB People Nigeria, in an effort to strengthen collaboration and promote the meaningful participation of tuberculosis (TB) survivors in community-led health interventions across the state.
The advocacy engagement has focused on strengthening the existing partnership between TB People Nigeria and the integrated Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) Project implemented by the TB Network which provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discussed ways of improving coordination, communication and participation of TB survivors and other community structures in TB programming.
Speaking during the meeting, the State Programme Officer (SPO), Yahaya Muhammad, appreciated TB People Nigeria led by the State Coordinator, Mr. Tijjani Muhammad Ustaz for highlighting the importance of TB survivors in the implementation of community-led monitoring activities.
According to the SPO, TB survivors constitute an important component of the Community-Led Monitoring Team (CLMT) and were identified and selected through collaboration between the State TB People Nigeria and the Program of the TB and Leprosy Control Programme (TBLCP).
The SPO further emphasized the need to improve communication between TB survivors and Program Officers, noting that stronger coordination would help the CLM project better document community experiences and translate identified challenges into actionable interventions.
Responding, the State Coordinator of TB People Nigeria, Mr. Tijjani Muhammad Ustaz, welcomed the engagement and reaffirmed the importance of strong partnerships in strengthening TB control efforts. He shared his personal experience as a TB survivor, recounting his journey through the disease and eventual recovery, explaining that his recovery made him became committed to encouraging people presenting symptoms suggestive of TB to seek appropriate testing and care.
He stressed the importance of creating platforms where TB survivors can openly discuss their achievements, challenges, experiences and recommendations, noting that such engagement could provide valuable information for improving the implementation and effectiveness of community-led interventions.
Mr. Tijjani called on Program Officers to make deliberate efforts to involve TB survivors in project activities and provide them with the guidance and support required to participate effectively, observing that, TB survivors may have varying levels of formal education and technical experience compared with Program Officers and therefore may require additional mentorship and support to effectively contribute to community-led monitoring activities.
He also called for capacity-building activities for TB survivors and Ward Development Committees (WDCs) to improve their knowledge, skills and confidence in contributing to TB interventions and community monitoring. This must include establishing regular engagement platforms involving TB People Nigeria, TB survivors, Program Officers and CLM teams, providing training on community-led monitoring, TB prevention, case identification, referral, advocacy, data collection and community engagement with strengthening mentorship for TB survivors participating in CLM activities.
The stakeholders also recommended greater inclusion of TB survivors in planning and review meetings, capacity building for WDCs, improved communication between Program Officers and TB survivors, and documentation of TB survivors’ experiences and success stories for advocacy, community sensitization and learning.
