A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Lawyers Alert in conjunction with Media Health Rights, has urged the Akwa Ibom State government to integrate TB, HIV and malaria services into a single comprehensive care framework.

It also said that this would improve resource utilisation and ensure holistic care for patients with co-existing conditions.

The group expressed worry over the high HIV prevalence rate of over 5 percent of the population in Akwa Ibom State.

Rommy Mom, president of Lawyers Alert, said this during a press briefing, adding that there was an urgent need for the provision of economic support and empowerment programmes for women to reduce financial dependency and improve access to healthcare.

“There was the urgent need for community-driven advocacy to address key challenges adding that the findings emphasised the necessity of strengthening healthcare systems and enhancing community engagement to tackle stigma and discrimination.’

“Strengthen the capacity of women-led organisations and community health champions to advocate for gender-based healthcare and challenge harmful cultural norms,” Mom said.

According to him, “Stigma associated with HIV and TB discourages women from seeking care while cultural and religious beliefs often lead to reliance on traditional remedies over modern healthcare.

“Lack of healthcare gender-sensitive framework which leads to fragmented intervention and limited impact on women’s health outcomes.”

He called on the Akwa Ibom State Government, civil society organisations and international partners to prioritise gender transformative approaches in addressing the healthcare challenges identified in its report.

“By addressing the root causes of reliance on traditional treatment over modern medicare as well as the frequent stockouts of medications, we can ensure a more cohesive and effective systems that equitably provides access to prevention, treatment and care services.’’

Lawyers Alert is involved in the promotion of human rights, gender equality and access to justice, particularly for marginalised and vulnerable groups.