By Joseph Erunke

ABUJA–AS Nigeria looks forward to join the rest of the world to mark the 2022 World TB Day,KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation has said the country still accounts for 4.6 percent of the global estimated TB cases.

Besides, the local non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against tuberculosis, said Nigeria has the highest TB burden in Africa, “the 6” globally and 1 of 10 countries that accounts for 70 percent of the global gap between the estimated global incidence of multidrug-resistant TB each year and the number enrolled on treatment. “

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The Executive Director of KNCV TB Foundation, Dr. Odume Bethrand, who stated this at a pre-World TB Day, in Abuja, Thursday, added that “About 75% of TB patients in Nigeria and their households are facing catastrophic costs.”

” Though Nigeria is one of four countries that improved case notification against the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can do so much more to close the about 70% gap in TB notification,” he said.

Açcording to him, “To end TB in Nigeria, we must address the funding gap; invest more inhuman and material resources needed to control the TB epidemic.”

Dr. Bethrand insisted that” We must do more by continuing to build the capacity of the front-line health care workers, by
expanding access to TB diagnostic services — GeneXpert, Truenat, TB Lamp as well Chest x-ray services by investing more on digital portable x-rays. “

He also said the country can do more to end the infectious disease by ensuring adequate supplies of drugs and essential commodities, strengthening the health system especially data management and TB surveillance system, and by creating a conducive environment that encourages TB innovations and research.

Noting that, “A week from today, being the 24″ March, will be the World TB day”, he reminded that:” This is an annual event to commemorate the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobactenum tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes tuberculosis (TB).”

“World TB Day is a day to educate the public about the socio-economic impact of TB and KNCV TB Foundation Nigeria, along with our funding Partner the USAID, the STOP TB Partnership Nigeria, and the Government will use the opportunity to share our successes, create awareness and most importantly highlight the key challenges that hinder our progress toward meeting set targets for TB control in Nigeria.

“The theme for this year’s celebration is: Invest to END TB, Save Lives, and that is why we are choosing to Give more, do more & End TB Now.

” With a funding gap of 69%, and donor dependence for TB control in Nigeria our theme could not be timelier,’ he said.

Earlier,the Acting Board Chairman, Stop TB Partnership Nigeria,Dr. Queen Ogbuji, while speaking, regretted that “Each day, about 4,100 people lose their lives to TB and nearly 30,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease.”

She explained that:”Stop TB Partnership Nigeria in collaboration with the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), with support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other stakeholders has been responsible for organizing the Pre-World TB Day Press Conference to inform the media and the public on the activities planned for the World TB Day and to create more awareness and provide update on the TB situation in Nigeria.”

“All over the world, we commemorate World TB Day on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic impact of tuberculosis (TB) and urge acceleration of efforts to end the global TB epidemic. The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.
TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers,” she said.

Noting that,”TB is the leading cause of death of people with HIV and a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance. Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 66 million lives since the year 2000,” she said:”However, the COVID-19 pandemic has reversed years of progress made in the fight to end TB. For the first time in over a decade, TB deaths increased in 2020. This World TB Day is an opportunity to focus on the people affected by this disease and to call for accelerated action to end TB suffering and deaths, especially in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”

The theme of this year’s commemoration,she explained,” Conveys the urgent need to invest resources to ramp up the fight against TB and achieve the commitments to end TB made by global leaders.”

” This is especially critical in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that has put End TB progress at risk, and to ensure equitable access to prevention and care in line with the drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage. More investment to TB will save millions more lives, and accelerate the end of the TB epidemic,” she added.

“The Stop TB Partnership and all partners are calling on all those involved in the fight against TB to unite under this overarching theme and sound the alarm that the low levels of funding for the TB response year after year cannot continue nor be accepted anymore,” she said.

Dr Ogbuji spoke further:”Globally, of the US$ 15 billion annual funding for TB promised by world leaders at the United Nations High-Level Meeting (UNHLM on TB in 2018, less than half has been delivered. And in Nigeria, of the $373 million needed for TB control in Nigeria in the year 2020, only 31% was available to all the implementers of TB control activities in Nigeria (7% domestic and 24% donor funds), with 69% funding gap.

“We, therefore, call on the government at the federal, state and local government levels as well as corporate sector and philanthropists to invest in TB and prevent people from dying from a preventable and curable disease.”