FG: Expect 200,000 TB cases from Nigeria Dec

Nigeria could be notifying up to 200,000 TB cases by the end of 2021, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said.

Notification means that TB is diagnosed in a patient and reported within the national surveillance system, and then to the World Health Organisation.

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Ehanire spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during the 2021 national TB conference organised by the Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme and other partners.

He said that nine months into this year 2021, the country had surpassed the total number of TB cases notified in 2020 by about seven per cent 

“And for the first time, Nigeria could be notifying up to 200,000 TB cases by the end of 2021,” he said. 

The minister said the COVID-19 pandemic brought 2020 global case finding levels back to 2012 level, with an 18% reduction in the number of patients diagnosed with TB dropping from 7.1 million in 2019 to 5.8 million in 2020, thus setting global case finding efforts back by 8 years.

He noted that key interventions for TB include a strategic engagement of the private sector, introduction of targeted, data-driven community TB case finding activities, integration of TB case finding in COVID-19 outreaches, active TB and integrated TB/COVID-19 case finding activities in health facilities among others.

First Lady Aisha Muhammadu Buhari urged all stakeholders to support a multi-sectoral approach and effective coordination in efforts towards ending TB in Nigeria.

Represented by the first lady of Niger State, Amina Abubakar Bello, she stressed the need to put those affected by TB at the forefront of the response.