The Cross River State Government has called on international donors and implementing partners to prioritize available funding for critical health services, particularly in light of recent global funding constraints.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, issued the advice on Monday while receiving the management team of the KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation during a courtesy visit to his office in Calabar.
Dr. Ayuk warned against shifting focus from core health objectives due to the ripple effects of foreign policy decisions such as the executive orders signed by United States President Donald Trump, which significantly reduced global financial assistance for disease control programs.
He emphasized the need for prudence in the use of health sector funds, urging international development agencies operating in the state to align their budgets with the most essential services. According to him, strategic and collaborative budgeting between donors and the state government is key to achieving sustainable healthcare outcomes.
“The State is willing to collaborate with development partners to design realistic budgets that can be effectively implemented by host governments without overreliance on external funding,” Dr. Ayuk stated. “Let me assure you that no health project will be abandoned in Cross River State simply because of dwindling donor support.”
Earlier, the head of the KNCV delegation, Dr. Cynthia Onweatika, said their visit was to reaffirm the foundation’s commitment to continuing its tuberculosis case detection and treatment program in the state.
She assured the Commissioner that KNCV remained committed to supporting the state’s health sector, particularly in the fight against tuberculosis. “We are back in the state to continue the work we started. Our goal remains to drastically reduce the burden of tuberculosis in Cross River through early detection and treatment,” she said.
Other Images
