The federal government says it is committed to tackling tuberculosis as a national priority.

Health minister Muhammad Ali Pate said this on Tuesday at the UN Alliance of Countries on the Fight Against Tuberculosis.

Mr Pate called for coordinated efforts across multiple sectors to combat the epidemic effectively. He highlighted the critical impact of climate change on global TB efforts during a UN General Assembly Side Event.

It focused on addressing the intersection of climate change and TB in line with commitments made by world leaders at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB.

Climate change poses a significant threat to countries’ progress toward accelerating the TB response. 

The epidemic is closely linked to inequities like poverty and malnutrition, which are exacerbated during times of climate crises, armed conflict and pandemics.

Mr Pate said as the world faced these challenges, it must rethink its strategies. He said that the world should embrace innovative solutions that address the underlying drivers of TB, including climate change.

The minister explained the importance of multisectoral collaboration involving the health sector, agriculture, social development, education, labour, and finance in developing a comprehensive response to TB.

He urged countries to enhance their TB strategies to be more resilient to climate change and to reduce the environmental impact of TB tools and services.

Mr Pate also stressed the need for increased research and dedicated funding to understand better the link between climate change and health dynamics and for greater engagement of civil society and TB-affected communities.

“The goal is to build a climate-resilient TB response that upholds human rights, combats stigma, promotes gender equality, and protects vulnerable populations from financial hardship,” he said.

Mr Pate said that the call came amid growing global concern about the impact of climate change on public health, particularly on diseases like TB, which disproportionately affect marginalised communities.

“We reaffirm our commitment to the political declaration of the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB. We pledge to continue working with international partners, including WHO, to address the challenges posed by both TB and climate change,” he said.

(NAN)