Tuberculosis deserves more attention

Tuberculosis (TB), according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs and is caused by a type of bacteria that spreads through the air when infected people cough, sneeze or spit. TB, the global health body added, is the 13th leading cause of death and the second leading infectious disease killer after COVID-19 (above HIV and AIDS).

Nigeria is ranked 1st in Africa and 6th in the world among the 30 high TB-burdened countries. TB is present in all countries and can affect all age groups, according to health professionals, adding that people living with HIV are 16 times more likely to fall ill with TB disease than those without it. Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is among the health targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The prevalence of this disease in the country was brought to the fore when the Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, disclosed that a total of 8,277 patients were placed on TB treatment in the last one week in the state.

He said, “Kano State being the most populous state in Nigeria and one of the five high TB burden states, the TB burden stood at 34,547 which represents expected notification of 8,637 TB patients per quarter and I am happy to inform you that just last week we placed a total of 8,277 TB patients, which represents 96% of the total burden on TB treatment. It is the highest quarterly TB notification ever in Nigeria.”

Yusuf said the 2022 national TB incident stood at 467,000, while a total of 218,000 (47%) people were notified and placed on TB treatment, with 249,000 (53%) undetected cases.

“According to the 2022 Global TB Report, over 72,000,000 lives were saved between 2000 and 2021 through joint efforts to end TB worldwide. Also from the report, the number of people worldwide who fell ill due to TB was 10.6 million, with 1.6 million deaths including 218,000 people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide,” he added.

The disease, as medical experts say, does not manifest quickly. A person who has contracted it may be going about for several years without any visible bodily signs, yet all this time infecting those with whom he/she interacts. Even children can be vulnerable. Indeed, an untreated TB patient can transmit the disease to about 10-15 people within one year, the Kano commissioner noted.

There are many signs and symptoms of the disease, which include cough, coughing up blood or mucus, chest pain, pain with breathing or coughing, fever, night sweats, weight loss, tiredness and not feeling well in general. All these should be reasons to see a doctor. The advantage of doing so is that TB can be diagnosed early, and the drugs to treat it are readily available and free. Early treatment for TB can help stop the spread of the disease and improve patients’ chances of recovery.

We should wake up to this reality and realise the extent of the danger we are facing. To control the disease and reduce its impact, we need to deepen the national tuberculosis programme at all levels and widen the involvement of private establishments in the exercise. By doing so, we will have more people accessing treatment.

But one of the biggest hindrances to the effective eradication of tuberculosis in the country is the attitude of patients. Many stop taking their drugs midway through their treatment because the treatment is usually for a long time. Patients may need to take medications daily for between four and six months. Medical experts warn that stopping the medications early is dangerous and the TB may become resistant to drugs.

Authorities at all levels of healthcare delivery should ensure proper counselling and enlightenment to eradicate this disease because many still engage in harmful and unhygienic practices. Those on treatment need to be constantly monitored to make sure that they take their medication as and when due. Governments at all levels should not rely solely on foreign donors to end this disease. They need to take ownership of the production of the vaccines and make them accessible to all those who need them because “over 80% of [TB] cases and deaths are in low- and middle-income countries. “