From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Stakeholders involved in the fight against Tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria have advocated strong community efforts and engagements to the fight against TB in Nigeria, particularly as the 2030 global deadline for TB eradication draw closer.
They made the suggestions at the 2024 TB Conference in Abuja, which focused on the theme “Public-Private Partnership and Integrated Service Delivery: Panacea to End TB in Nigeria.”
They said that such partnership and community engagements would help in case finding, particularly among the children, referrals to health facilities for treatment, and follow-ups if need be.
The stakeholders said the quest to eliminate TB by 2030 goes beyond just hospitals and treatments, but involves an active engagement of communities at the grassroot level.
First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, led the campaign, warning that any form of complacency in the fight against TB could have disastrous effect on the herd immunity of Nigerians.
Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, Ag. Board Chair, Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, informed the participants that Nigeria recorded over 361,000 TB cases in 2023 which represents a 26 per cent increase in number of cases compared with 2022, stressing that nine per cent of the reported cases are children, thus highlighting the vulnerability of such younger population to the disease.
Ogbuji-Ladipo expressed concerns that Nigeria, despite achieving 24 per cent decline in TB incidence rates between 2015 and 2024, remains among the 30 high burden countries that account for 87 per cent of the world’s TB cases, including HIV resistant TB, and Drug-resistant TB.
She attributed the increase to several challenges including significant funding gap, low awareness, limited access to healthcare, stigma, and weak collaboration between public and private sectors.
“Nevertheless, significant progress is still needed to meet global targets for ending TB. While Nigeria has intensified efforts to improve TB detection, treatment and prevention, challenges persist,” she said
Ogbuji-Ladipo was, however, optimistic that the conference will birth innovative ideas and effective strategies for addressing barriers to TB care, particularly among marginalised and vulnerable populations.
National Coordinator of the African Coalition on TB, Mr. Ibrahim Umoru, in his submissions at the TB Affected Community and Civil Society Dialogue during the National TB Conference in Abuja, insisted that grassroot participation and collaboration was central to the fight against TB.
He said: “TB is not just a hospital issue; it’s a community issue. When someone has TB, they come from a home, a family, and a community. So, addressing TB requires a strong community component.”
Similarly, the Deputy Project Director for TB at Breakthrough Action Nigeria, Dr. Bolatito Ayedigba, highlighted innovative campaigns such as the ‘Cough, Check Am O’ campaign’ as effective in dispelling myths and encouraging individuals to seek TB testing without fear of stigmatization.
“This campaign encouraged people to seek testing without ensuring timely diagnosis and treatment..The national TB hotlines provide necessary guide for individuals on next steps, and ensures access to diagnostic and treatment services,” Dr. Ayedigba said.
On her part, Deborah Ike, the Executive Director of the Debriche Health Development Centre (DHDC), outlined the challenges Nigeria face in the fight against TB, emphasizing the importance of overcoming barriers to meet the 2030 target for TB eradication.
“There’s still a gap in awareness creation, and much more needs to be done. Stigma and discrimination remain major barriers. Even though testing and treatment are free in Nigeria, many still die because they are afraid to access these services,” Ike said.
She explained that stigma could take many forms, including self-stigma and fear of discrimination from health facilities or communities, saying, “Some people avoid seeking treatment because they fear being judged.