The chair of the Peer Review Forum, Ize Adava, on Wednesday, said civil society organisations are crucial to the global responses to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2023 CSO Accountability Forum in Abuja, Ms Adava said civil society played pivotal roles in the national response to the three diseases in Nigeria.

She said CSOs provided expertise in community mobilisation, service demand, delivery and uptake.

The CSO forum is a platform through which the collective body of CSOs working on HIV-related issues in Nigeria annually review the progress made with HIV treatment, prevention, care and support response.

The PRF organised the 2023 CSO Accountability Forum. The PRF is a group of community advocates focused on ensuring transparency and accountability of all stakeholders, including the civil society, engaged in the HIV response in Nigeria.

Ms Adava said the role of CSOs included the collection of strategic information which could influence policies as well as watchdogging the response via being advocates for beneficiary populations.

She added, “Other roles are holding government and donors accountable, promoting human rights to fight stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, key populations and other vulnerable groups. 

“Their roles also include promoting inclusion for people with disabilities, identifying challenges and gaps in healthcare delivery and supporting data collection and innovation.

“They provide independent views of the programming and processes and promote transparency in healthcare delivery.”

She noted that it was pertinent that in carrying out its multifaceted roles, civil society should also be cognizant of the need for its continuing accountability and transparency not only to the stakeholders but also to itself.

According to her, as the national response evolves in its strategies to improve, it is necessary to ensure the sustainability of its gains by incorporating more roles for the community and civil society.

These roles, she said, should be in every stage of planning, development, implementation and monitoring of the national response. 

Ms Adava added that the PRF recognised the need for introspection within the civil society to better position it in delivering its duties towards the national response to the three diseases. 

(NAN)