TANZANIAN MP DR. LUKUMAY CALLS FOR STRONGER DOMESTIC FINANCING TO COMBAT TUBERCULOSIS IN AFRICA
Na Joseph Ngilisho |Arushadigital
Member of Parliament for Arumeru West Constituency and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and HIV Issues, Johannes Lembulung Lukumay, is participating in the Anglophone Africa Health and Finance Committee Chairs Meeting on the Global TB Caucus taking place from May 14–15, 2026 in Cape Town.
The high-level meeting has brought together parliamentary leaders, health policymakers and financial oversight committees from across Anglophone African countries to deliberate on sustainable financing strategies and stronger political commitment in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), HIV and malaria.
Addressing delegates during the meeting, Hon. Dr. Lukumay underscored the urgent need for African countries to strengthen domestic health financing amid declining external donor support for TB programmes. He noted that the Global TB Caucus plays a critical role in ensuring that governments maintain momentum in efforts to eliminate tuberculosis through policy advocacy, parliamentary engagement and increased budgetary commitments.
According to Dr. Lukumay, the Global TB Caucus is specifically focused on influencing national TB policies and increasing domestic health financing ahead of the February–March 2026 budget cycles in various African countries. He emphasized that sustained parliamentary advocacy remains essential in protecting gains already achieved in the fight against the disease.
“The Global TB Caucus is crucial in maintaining political pressure to end tuberculosis, especially at a time when external funding is declining. National parliamentary groups remain the backbone of regional and global TB advocacy,” said Hon. Dr. Lukumay.
During his presentation, Dr. Lukumay highlighted that Tanzania remains among the 30 high-TB-burden countries listed by the World Health Organization, although the country has made notable progress in reducing TB incidence. He explained that Tanzania’s estimated TB incidence had declined to 183 cases per 100,000 people by 2023, reflecting ongoing efforts by the government and health stakeholders to strengthen disease control interventions.
Despite the progress, Dr. Lukumay stressed that significant challenges still persist, particularly in financing treatment and diagnostic services. He called upon the Global TB Caucus to intensify advocacy aimed at reducing the prices of TB medicines and laboratory commodities supplied by pharmaceutical manufacturers, arguing that lower costs would greatly improve accessibility and treatment outcomes in developing countries.
He further appealed for increased financial allocations from the Global Fund, noting that TB programmes currently receive only seven percent of the overall grant allocation compared to malaria and HIV programmes. According to him, the imbalance has continued to limit the scale and effectiveness of TB interventions in many African countries despite the disease remaining a major public health threat.
Dr. Lukumay also urged fellow Members of Parliament from participating countries to champion increased domestic budget allocations for TB, HIV and malaria programmes in their respective nations. He said political leaders must take greater responsibility in ensuring sustainable financing mechanisms that reduce overdependence on international donors.
The meeting in Cape Town is expected to strengthen regional parliamentary collaboration and produce policy recommendations aimed at enhancing Africa’s response to tuberculosis and other infectious diseases through stronger health systems and increased national investment in healthcare
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