WHO ranks Nigeria highest TB infected nation in Africa, says 268 people killed daily

BY IDONGESIT INYANG

Nigeria has the highest burden of tuberculosis TB in Africa and the disease kills an average of 268 people daily in the nation, according to World Health Organization, (WHO), Africa Region, 2024 data.

Mrs. Felicia Akam, Deputy Programme Manager of Cross River’s Tuberculosis (TB), Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme has disclosed in Calabar.

This came to the fore during a meeting aimed at unlocking funds for TB control in Cross River.

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Akam, explained that “in quarter one of 2024, we had about 1, 666 cases and there was a drop in quarter two which we got 1,565 cases in all forms of TB notification.”

She further said that “these results are poor due to poor case finding operations occasioned by poor funding to comb rural areas in the state especially the hard-to-reach areas to get infected people.”

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Akam, added that, if the support from the state government in the form of counterpart funding and early release of budgetary allocation were done, they would be able to close the gap in meeting the state’s target in TB care.

According to her, poor budgetary release was affecting the sustainability of TB care in the state.

The deputy programme manager who doubles as the monitoring and evaluation officer, said TB programme in the state had been largely donor driven up till 2024, even though government assisted with facilities and manpower.

She however noted that, in active case finding in the state, the major challenge was sustaining what implementing partners are doing to support the programme.

“Every time the state programme presents its budget to the government, the release of funds to sustain the programme is a challenge, which is a problem for the funding partners and hampers case finding” the programme manager, maintained.

Speaking also, Mr Inyang Bassey, External Communication Manager of Lafarge Africa, complained about the sincerity of purpose and effective utilisation by the implementers of the programme.

Reiterating the issue of funding, Mr Imoh Isua-Ikoh, Coordinator of Peace Point Development Foundation said a lot of funding partners left Cross River in the past due to the state government’s refusal to pay counterpart funds.

TB, a disease that affects the lungs is caused by a type of bacteria and is spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or spits, although, it is preventable and curable.