- Stakeholders recommit to fight against TB
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, a multi-stakeholder partnership complementing the efforts of the government and other partners to end Tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria, has raised the alarm that TB is still killing many people in Nigeria.
It noted that in 2023,1.24 million people, globally, lost their lives to TB, a fully treatable and curable disease, stressing that TB does not discriminate, nor does it only target low-to-middle income countries, but can strike in any country around the world.
The Partnership further noted what makes it very dangerous is that TB is airborne and could easily spreads through droplets thus making it even more difficult to prevent.
Dr. Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, the Acting Board Chairman of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, at a press conference to herald the 2025 World TB Day, in Abuja, on Tuesday, noted that Nigeria, ranked sixth highest burden country across the world and first in Africa.
She made reference to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2024 that revealed that Nigeria is among the 30 high-burden countries for TB, HIV-associated TB (TB/HIV), and drug-resistant TB (MDR/RRTB), and it recorded approximately 467,000 TB cases in 2023.
She said that in Nigeria, one person dies of TB every seven minutes across different demographic groups, despite being a preventable and curable. “This pathetic situation is attributed to several factors including low public awareness of TB, stigma and discrimination against persons affected by TB, limited access to healthcare services, funding gaps, and weak collaboration between the public and private sectors in TB control.”
Dr. Ogbuji-Ladipo noted that the theme for the 2025 World TB Day is “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest and Deliver.” underscore the urgent need for global action, political will, and sustained investment to eliminate TB.
“It reinforces the call that ending TB is achievable through a collaborative effort and commitment from governments, communities, private sector organizations and all stakeholders.
“It also a powerful collective message of hope, urgency, and accountability. This year’s theme centres on the importance of a united and strategic global response to end TB. It also underscored the importance of collective action, strategic investments, and delivering high-quality care to the people affected by TB, putting the world on course to end TB by 2030.”
Director of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Godwin Ntadom, said the Ministry has intensified effort to further strengthen TB screening, diagnosis, treatment and preventive services across the country in line with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), the strategic blueprint for the health sector and the TB National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2021- 2026.
He reassured that the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, remain committed to achieving the global End TB target set by the WHO. “Our priorities moving forward is to expand TB screening, diagnostic and treatment services in both the public and private health facilities in line with our Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.
“We want to strengthen community engagement by working closely with traditional and religious leaders, as well as community-based organizations; we are scaling up community TB screening, increasing awareness and reducing stigma associated with TB.
“Integration of TB services into reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health plus nutrition and other related service leveraging digital health solutions. About 370 potable digital x-ray equipments are currently being deployed to communities and health facilities nationwide to facilitate prompt screening and diagnosis of TB patients especially in underserved communities.”
Chairman of the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria, Amobi Ogah, in his remarks, disclosed that Federal Government has allocated N700bn to fight HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, and immunization, signaling a renewed commitment to tackling infectious diseases. “This allocation is a game-changer in our fight against TB and other deadly diseases.”
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritizing health funding, particularly in the wake of the withdrawal of U.S. financial support for Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria programs.
“This is a wake-up call for us as a nation to take full responsibility for our healthcare system, and ensure that funds meant for intervention programmes are judiciously utilized,” he added.
Dr. Labaran Shehu, National Coordinator, National Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme, described Nigeria’s TB challenge as alarming, with 71,000 deaths in 2023 accounting for 18 per cent of TB-related deaths across Africa.
He stated that every hour, eight Nigerians die of TB, stressing the need for intensified intervention and awareness. “Despite efforts, public knowledge of TB remain low, with a national survey revealing that 64 per cent of women and 70 per cent of men either lack TB awareness or hold incorrect beliefs about the disease.”
Dr. Shehu highlighted the severe financial burden on TB patients, with 71 per cent spending over 20 per cent of their household income on treatment, and 23 per cent resorting to selling property to cover medical costs.