Attahiru Ahmed
The Zamfara state government in collaboration with partners has intensified efforts to ensure Universal Health coverage with Tuberculosis services, said TB treatment centres have been expanded to 442 centres, diagnosis, and treatment free in the state.
Speaking during the celebration to mark World TB Day held today at the Zamfara state ministry of the health conference hall in Gusau, the state capital the commissioner for health Aliyu Abubakar MC who was represented by Permanent Secretary Pharmacist Aliyu Maikiyo said The THEME for this year, 2023 TB day is “YES WE CAN END TB”.
“During the year 2022, the Zamfara government and its partners have been able to expand its TB Treatment Centres from 244 to 442 including all the Private health facilities in the state”.
He said World TB Day is a day set to sensitize and educate the public about Tuberculosis and its impact around the world and efforts by the governments, donors and partners to end the global TB epidemic.
“Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases and is caused by the bacterium (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affects the lungs”.
“Zamfara State TB and Leprosy Control Programme, along with our partners and colleagues around the world share successes in TB prevention and control and raise awareness of the challenges that hinder progress toward the elimination of this devastating disease”.
“The THEME for this year, 2023 is “YES WE CAN END TB and the Slogan GET INVOLVED aims to inspire hope and encourage high-level leadership, increase investment, faster uptake of new WHO recommendations, adoption of innovations, accelerated action and multisectoral action and Multisectoral collaborations to combat the TB epidemic”.
According to him, This year world TB day is critical with opportunities to raise visibility and political commitment at the 2023 UN high-level meeting on TB.
“This spotlight of World TB day will be on urging countries to ramp up progress in the lead-up to the 2023 UN High-level meeting on TB”.
He stressed that accelerated action is urgently needed worldwide if we are to meet targets by 2030.”Since 2018 till date, over a million Nigerians have been successfully treated for TB”. he added.
“We have also recorded good case holding as evidenced by a Treatment success rate (TSR) consistently above 80% for the past 5 years. We are intensifying efforts to ensure Universal Health Coverage with TB services”.
He further disclosed that Globally, Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent,” an estimated 10.6 million people developed TB in 2021 equivalent to 134 cases per 100,000 populations”.
“About 26.3 million people were treated for TB in the period 2018-2021 this is still far short of the 40 million targets set for 2018 to 2021 at the UN high-level meeting on TB Nigeria ranked 6th among 30 high-burden TB countries globally and first in Africa, it is also on the list of 14 countries with the triple burden of TB, HIV and Multidrug-resistant TB”.
He maintained that It is estimated that 429,000 people in Nigeria have TB each year.
“In other to make substantial progress towards meeting the global target for Ending TB in 2030, all stakeholders must join hands together with Government to adopt a multi-sectoral approach towards TB control particularly in addressing the issue of the 24% low case finding 30% low awareness of TB among the general populace and 25% Universal Health facility coverage and the 57% Gene Xpert coverage of the LGAs”.
The commissioner revealed that TB diagnostic centres also increased from 147 to 181 centres including the private laboratories in the state in addition to the Eight gene Xpert sites, One TB lamp and One LF lamp.
“A total of Fifty thousand and forty (51,041) people have been tested for TB in Zamfara State in the year 2022, out of which Five thousand three hundred and seventy nine(5,379) have been confirmed (TB cases) to have TB in the State”.
He mentioned that in the year 2022 among these cases, thirty-eight were drugs resistant to TB and twenty-three (23) TB/HIV cases.
“Compare to 2021 cases in 2022 we had an increase of 1560 cases which was attributed to active case search in the Community, Community mobilizations, active contact tracing of index positive cases, free X-rays and Stool diagnosis in Children”.
He assured that TB diagnosis and treatment is free in all the centres across the state, “We are much aware of the challenges affecting TB Programme in Nigeria, Zamfara state inclusive”.
These challenges include underfunding, low awareness of TB disease among the general population, and few Gene-Xpert (8) testing centres in the state.
He said despite a few challenges, the Zamfara state government has appreciated the National Tuberculosis leprosy and Buruli ulcer Control Programme and Institute of Human Virology for donating of TB Lamp Machine to Chest Clinic King Fahad Gusau,
“These gestures will go a long way to improve TB and DRTB diagnosis, with the overall goal of improving Zamfara State data”.
“Equally, the state government also appreciates the efforts of WHO, UNICEF, Health System Consult Limited, Society for Family Health, Breakthrough action, Voluntary Aid initiative, and Pro-Health, Red Cross for their support”.
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