The World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested that although Nigeria is unlikely to cure tuberculosis by 2030, TB cases would begin to drop.
The UN body said that there is a chance we will hit our goal by 2035 if we do things correctly.
presenting during a webinar on the subject: “The Mission to End TB by 2030. How far are we? “According to Dr. Amos Omoniyi, WHO Professional Officer on Tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria, there is a need to mobilize sufficient local resources in order to fight the dreaded illness. He claimed that 70% of the TB budget for 2021 was unfunded.
According to him:” the number falling ill with TB incidence in 2020 are 452,000. (Meaning, one person every minute). TB incidence rate 2020 is 219 per 100,000 population.
TB death rate in 2020 is 75 per 100,000 population.
The number of deaths in 2020 is 156,000 (meaning one person every three minutes due of (TB).
” To end TB in Nigeria, we must implement data driven evidence based and technology enhanced interventions as contained in the NSP/lesson learnt. Mobilize adequate domestic resources and 70 percent of the TB budget in 2021 was unfunded”.
In addition, the Deputy Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership in Geneva, Dr. Sahu Suvanand, noted that globally $250 billion is needed annually to combat TB.
He, therefore, urged Nigeria to increase domestic funding through the budget.
Also, Dr Chukwuma Anyaike, the Director and National Coordinator, National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Program at Federal Ministry of Health said WHO’s post 2015 End TB strategy was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2014 aimed to end the global TB epidemic as part of the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals.
He said it serves as a blue print for countries to reduce TB incidences by 80 percent, TB deaths by 90 percent and to eliminate catastrophic cost for TB affected households by 2030. The strategy is not a “one size fits all” approach and its success depends on adaptation for diverse country setting.
While profiling TB cases in Nigeria, Anyaike said , Nigeria ranked 6th among the high TB burden countries and first in Africa. Triple high burden for TB, TB/HIV and MDR-TB. The incidence of all forms of TB is 219/100,000 population ( More than 400,000 cases each year) . Nigeria is among the ten countries that accounted for 70 percent of the global gap and stands as priority for ending TB in the world. 91 percent of TB patients in the country are affected by catastrophic cost.
Earlier in her address of welcome, the acting Chair of the Nigeria Stop TB Partnership, Dr. Queen Ogbuji Oladipo said the webinar is for stakeholders to discuss and promote awareness to make sure that issues around TB are always on the news.
One of the TB survivors, Adebola Tope Adams said the government should declare a state of emergency on all forms of TB by employing both preventive and curative measures.
She also added that, there is a need for production of TB vaccine.
