Urgent Call for Nigeria to Combat Tuberculosis on World TB Day 2025
World Tuberculosis Day 2025 highlights the urgent need for Nigerian leaders to prioritize the fight against tuberculosis (TB), which remains a major health crisis in the country. Despite being preventable and treatable, Nigeria holds a significant burden of TB cases, with escalating deaths and under-reported cases. There are calls for enhanced government investment, improved healthcare resources, and innovative strategies to combat the disease.
As the global community recognizes World Tuberculosis Day on March 24, 2025, the urgent call to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) gains momentum, particularly in Nigeria. This year’s theme, “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,” emphasizes the necessity for Nigerian leaders to prioritize the fight against this life-threatening infectious disease, which poses significant health, social, and economic challenges.
World TB Day has been observed annually since 1982, serving as a catalyst for world leaders to focus on TB, a disease that impacts millions each year. Although TB is preventable and treatable, it remains one of the top ten causes of death worldwide, with a virulent bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as the causative agent.
According to KNCV Nigeria, approximately 10 million individuals develop active TB each year, with 1.1 million cases occurring in children and 860,000 among people living with HIV. Shockingly, 1.25 million deaths from TB were recorded in 2023, including 161,000 individuals co-infected with HIV. Common symptoms include a persistent cough lasting over three weeks, chest pain, and coughing up blood or sputum from the lungs, along with other signs such as fatigue, weight loss, fever, and night sweats.
Nigeria bears the brunt of TB’s impact in Africa, with the WHO reporting that the disease claims 268 lives daily within the country. The under-reporting of TB cases exacerbates the transmission risk, with estimates suggesting that one undiagnosed case can infect up to 15 others annually. Reports indicate that Nigeria saw over 361,000 TB cases in 2023, a 26 percent rise from 2022, and children constituted nine percent of these cases.
Remarkably, Nigeria holds about 4.6 percent of the global TB burden, causing approximately 15 deaths per hour, totaling 347 deaths daily. According to KNCV Nigeria, this accounts for nearly 125,000 fatalities annually. The WHO’s 2019 Global TB Report highlighted a concerning 24 percent detection rate, with only 20 percent of health facilities equipped to provide adequate TB services. Factors such as malnutrition, HIV, diabetes, and alcohol use disorder significantly contribute to TB cases in the country.
Despite effective antibiotic treatments, many Nigerians lack access to appropriate care due to a drug-resistant strain of TB. The challenge is compounded by a stark 69 percent funding gap for TB control initiatives in Nigeria. Additional obstacles include inadequate public understanding of the disease, prevalent stigma, insufficient healthcare resources, and limited access to diagnostic and treatment facilities.
The WHO acknowledges that the detection gap is most pronounced among children, as health workers often lack training in pediatric TB diagnosis and families remain unaware of the disease’s signs. To combat this, all levels of government must enhance their commitment to revitalizing the health sector to adequately serve affected populations.
Investment in medical infrastructure and resources by both federal and state governments is crucial to ensure accessibility for citizens in both urban and rural areas. Moreover, Nigeria’s National Tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer, and Leprosy Control Programme, alongside partners such as the WHO, should deploy innovative strategies aimed at raising awareness, facilitating testing, and improving treatment facilities across all 36 states.
In conclusion, Nigeria faces a significant challenge in combatting tuberculosis, which is exacerbated by under-reporting, limited funding, and insufficient healthcare infrastructure. Reinforcing commitment from government entities and enhancing public awareness are essential steps to effectively address this public health crisis. A collaborative effort across all levels of government and health organizations is needed to implement innovative strategies aimed at eradicating TB and safeguarding the health of its citizens.
Original Source: punchng.com
