The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Remi Tinubu, has raised alarm over the persistent burden of tuberculosis (TB) in the country, describing it as one of the leading causes of death despite significant progress in tackling the disease.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 2024 National TB Conference in Abuja, themed ‘Public-Private Partnership and Integrated Service Delivery: Panacea to End TB in Nigeria,’ Mrs. Tinubu highlighted Nigeria’s alarming TB statistics.
According to her, “The country ranks as the sixth highest burden country globally and the first in Africa.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2024 reveals that Nigeria recorded approximately 467,000 TB cases in 2023.”
The report further showed a 26 percent rise in TB cases compared to 2022, with over 360,000 cases documented, nine percent of which involved children.
Despite a 24 percent decline in TB incidence rates between 2015 and 2023, Nigeria remains one of the top 30 high-burden nations, grappling with challenges such as HIV-associated TB and drug-resistant strains.
Mrs. Tinubu acknowledged the progress made through collaborations among government agencies, healthcare providers, and international partners.
She lauded the role of TB diagnostic tools funded through her earlier donations in enhancing case detection across the country.
However, she called for increased investment, innovative approaches, and the elimination of barriers to care.
She expressed confidence in Nigeria’s ability to meet the global TB eradication targets by 2035 and praised stakeholders for their commitment.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, emphasized the critical role of private sector engagement in the fight against TB.
He noted the success of the recently launched Private Sector TB Initiative, which has mobilised $25 million for TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
He also commended international development partners like USAID and the Global Fund while urging state governments to increase their contributions to TB control initiatives.
Dr. Walter Mulombo, the WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, underscored the public health challenge posed by TB, citing undiagnosed and untreated cases and a 60 percent funding gap in 2023.
“The dual burden of TB and HIV complicates our response, while multidrug-resistant TB continues to rise, demanding resource-intensive treatment,” Dr. Mulombo said.
He called for urgent and inclusive strategies to meet the 2030 global TB eradication target.
“Strengthening primary healthcare and community-based TB care is crucial to identifying and treating every TB case,” he added.
The Acting Board Chair of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Dr. Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, stressed the importance of collaboration in addressing TB.
She advocated for innovative approaches, knowledge-sharing, and strengthened public-private partnerships to overcome barriers to TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
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