Obatunde Oladapo obatunde65@gmail skype: obatunde65

1. Perspective on TB/HIV community mobilization in Nigeria: contribution as member of the TB/HIV Core Group Obatunde Oladapo obatunde65@gmail.com skype: obatunde65 Being a presentation at the 14th Meeting of the TB/HIV Core Group of the WHO Stop TB Partnership, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 11 – 12, 2008

2. About PLAN • The Positive Life Association of Nigeria (PLAN) is a leading non-governmental PLHIV organization based in Ibadan, Nigeria • PLAN is one of the founding member organizations of the Treatment Action Movement (TAM), the Nigerian coalition of activists and advocates for access to treatment related to HIV, TB and other related diseases.

3. Overview of presentation • The TORs of Community Representatives in the Core Groups of the WHO Stop TB Partnership. • Activities since being elected into the TB/HIV Working Group • Challenges • Recommendations

4. Community Reps TORs • To participate in the WG activities and communicate community priorities to the WG/CB • To communicate WG/CB priorities to a broader community and build support for them • To conduct trainings or other activities to strengthen the capacity within their communities to increase their awareness about impact of TB.

5. Activities… • The Rapid Response Fund of Nigeria’s World Bank-assisted HIV/AIDS Project was accessed for linking TB and HIV/AIDS related services in 2 Local Government Areas of Oyo State. • ITPC project on mobilizing PLHIV and Communities . • Study on challenges in TB diagnosis in Health Institutions in Ibadan, Nigeria

6. Activities … • The 2 Nigerian Community Reps on the STBP Core Groups played prominent roles towards the establishment of the Nigerian Stop TB Partnership. • Efforts are on to ensure the launching of the Partnership in Nigeria.

7. Conferences attended and publications/presentations • Mobilizing PLHIV and communities engagement in TB and HIV/AIDS-related treatment literacy in Oyo State, Nigeria (AIDS 2008 - XVII International AIDS Conference, Abstract no. WEPE0097) • Linking HIV/AIDS services with 3 tuberculosis treatment centres in Ibadan North East Local Government Area, Nigeria (AIDS 2008 - XVII International AIDS Conference, Abstract no. WEPE0091)

8. Conferences attended and publications/presentations • Study on Challenges in TB Diagnostics in Secondary and Local Government Health Institutions in Ibadan, Nigeria (abstract at the MSF 1-day Symposium on TB Field Diagnostics, Cape Town, November 7, 2007, 38th Union Conference, 2007 • Third Open Forum on Key Issues in Tuberculosis (TB) Drug Development, New Delhi, India, May 4 – 6, 2008

9. Challenges • Funding constraints for activities of communities working on TB/HIV • Unstable and unfavorable political climate • Bureaucracy • Change of guards at the NTP resulting in truncating processes and interventions • Inadequate visibility of persons affected by TB • Stigma • Low capacity of affected persons and communities. • Inadequate focus on TB in HIV circles • Very low CS participation in the National TB response

10. Recommendations • Employing innovative strategies for • Mobilizing CBOs for greater involvement in TB/HIV activities • Building communities capacity to respond to TB/HIV activities • Creating a friendly political climate by • Overcoming bureaucracy (Simplifying protocols, advocacy, follow-up) • CFCS needs to be expanded/increased to ensure that the impact is felt more in the communities.

11. Recommendations • Need for empowering affected persons and communities to respond through • Provision of funding for trainings and other activities to strengthen the capacity within communities • Support for community representatives to increase awareness about impact of TB in communities • Need to make TB issues more “attractive” to the HIV civil society community. • Need for global coalition of activists and community on TB

12. We are all in it together! Thanks for listening!