The report that over 71,000 Nigerians died from tuberculosis (TB) last year, with more than 400,000 cases recorded, is alarming and should be a cause for concern for not just the government but all stakeholders in the health sector. This growing public health crisis calls for a national emergency response, as well as a concerted effort to address the underlying causes and provide effective solutions.
Dr. Labaran Shehu, National Coordinator of the National TB, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health, recently revealed that eight people die of TB in Nigeria every hour. The 71,000 deaths recorded represent about 18 per cent of all TB deaths in Africa. The Director of Public Health at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Godwin Ntadom, also stated that Nigeria had its highest-ever TB notification of more than 400,000 cases in 2024, out of an estimated 506,000 Nigerians infected with the disease. These revelations highlight Nigeria's disproportionate burden in the fight against this preventable and treatable disease.
TB, an airborne disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, most often affects the lungs. It is the second-deadliest infectious killer disease in the world, after COVID-19, and one of the top 10 causes of death globally. Symptoms of TB include coughing lasting more than two weeks, weight loss, night sweats, fever and persistent coughing, particularly in people living with HIV/AIDS.
According to the 2024 World Health Organisation (WHO) global TB report, Nigeria ranks first in Africa and sixth globally among the 30 high-burden countries for TB, with an estimated 499,000 new cases in 2023.
TB predominantly affects the productive age group (25-44 years), driving many families into poverty and damaging the national economy. Factors such as poverty, malnutrition, overcrowded living conditions, and limited access to quality healthcare further exacerbate the situation.
Every year, March 24 is observed as World Tuberculosis Day to emphasise the urgency of ending TB, the world's second-deadliest infectious disease. The theme for this year's campaign is 'Yes, We Can End TB-Commit, Invest, Deliver.' This theme emphasises the need for a collective, multifaceted approach to tackling TB, with an emphasis on commitment, investment and effective delivery of TB services.
We at Daily Trust join the world in saying, 'Yes, We Can End TB' but we stress that it must be eradicated before it wipes out much of our productive age group. We believe it requires concerted efforts from governments at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as from all stakeholders in the health sector. Moreover, addressing the root causes of TB's virulence, such as congestion caused by uncontrolled rural-urban migration, requires proper planning.
We join the WHO in calling on all levels of government to commit to strengthening political leadership in the fight against TB through robust national strategies. These strategies must urgently address funding gaps, poverty, malnutrition, suboptimal healthcare coverage, and the high catastrophic costs faced by TB patients. Dr. Labaran Shehu noted that there remains a 70 per cent funding gap for TB, with 24 per cent coming from donor funding and only 6% from domestic sources. This gap must be urgently addressed.
With appropriate commitment from all levels of government, we believe that increasing domestic funding and fostering international collaboration for TB control programmes will be more feasible.
The WHO is working closely with countries in the region to strengthen TB control programmes, improve access to TB services, scale up detection and treatment and promote TB prevention and control. Governments and stakeholders must, therefore, scale up WHO-recommended interventions, including early detection, diagnosis, preventive treatment and quality care.
We also recommend that Nigerian governments, especially at the state and local levels, invest urgently in strengthening primary healthcare systems to improve access to TB services, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas. Additionally, TB prevention and control measures, such as infection control, contact tracing, screening, treatment, psychosocial support and nutritional assistance for vulnerable populations, should be prioritised.
State governments should set ambitious targets for TB eradication. A commendable example is Kano State, which achieved an 83 per cent treatment success rate- the highest ever recorded by any state in Nigeria. This achievement should be emulated by other states.
The federal government's expansion of TB services to 3,000 additional health facilities nationwide, bringing the total number of Directly Observed Therapy, Short-Course (DOTS) centres to 25,000, is also commendable. Efforts must be made to sustain and improve this expansion.
Above all, there must be a conscious, collective, and urgent effort to tackle this deadly disease.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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