WAAF Launches New TB Project

The West Africa Aids Foundation [WAAF], has launched a new tuberculosis[TB] project dubbed '' Nothing For Us Without Us[NUWU]'' with a call on Civil Society Organizations [CSOs] in the fight against communicable diseases to maximize efforts and resources to effectively eradicate the disease.

Launching the Project in Accra, Dr. Naa Ashiley Vanderpuye, the WAAF Medical Director, said the goal of the NUWU Project is to advocate for more involvement of TB affected persons to occupy positions in the newly created platform for fighting the disease.

Dr. Vanderpuye noted that although much has been done in the fight against the disease in the past, there is still more to be done by the government, donors, CSO's, opinion leaders amongst others.

She pointed out that the failure to involve TB affected patients to serve on TB platforms has been a constraint in the fight against the disease.

According to her, the patients can contribute their quota effectively in championing the courses of their compatriots if involved in the process.

The Holland trained Medical Officer mentioned that '' it is very important for them as a CSO to use the little amount of money given them wisely in these periods of dwindling funding from donor agencies and partners''.

To this end, Dr. Ashiley Vanderpuye disclosed that her outfit haven being working in the field for long, would employ the right representatives as well as use the US$ 17. 000 bid they won from the Stop TB Partnership , a Geneva based firm ,wisely to benefit the people for which the amount was donated.

She mentioned that apart from key affected persons, WAAF would also bring on board experienced Civil Society Groups and consultants to help in that direction.

She however bemoaned the current status of Tuberculosis prevalence in the country and called for a more collaborative effort in the fight to end the canker.

She urged the TB affected persons to ensure their voices are heard rather than sitting idle when nominated to sit on the platform. They must fight hard as they are representatives of their compatriots.

The WAAF Medical Director called for them to be well equipped in order to understand well the standards within the mechanisms as the work she noted has been made easy through the lobbying of donor agencies and policy makers.

She promised that the process of choosing representatives to serve on the newly created Country Coordinating Mechanisms [CCM] would be transparent and that she is hopeful they would work assiduously to ensure the success of the one year project.

The launching held at the offices of the Ghana Institution of Engineers brought together personnel from the medical field, academia, CSO's in health and the media.

The CCM is a 25-member platform composed of the academia, government, CSO's, donor agencies as well as key affected TB persons.