The World Health Organisation Country Representative, Dr Walter Mulombo, has expressed worry over the negative impact of Tuberculosis on Tb patients in Nigeria.
At a Pre-World Tuberculosis Day briefing organised by Stop TB Partnership in Abuja, the WHO country representative, who was represented by the WHO National Professional Officer Tuberculosis, Dr Enang Oyama said negative impacts include poverty and loss of income.
He observed that many people were pushed into poverty when they contract TB due to loss of income, transport costs and other expenses.
”Too many people are pushed into poverty when they contract TB due to loss of income, transport costs and other expenses. He noted that 71% of the TB patients in Nigeria and their households are affected by the catastrophic cost due to TB.
Dr Oyama who noted that Nigeria was trailing behind in all Targets said over reliance on external donor agencies for funding, sustaining the TB programme in Nigeria would continue to remain a challenge.
“TB control projects are drastically underfunded. Sixty-nine per cent of TB projects in 2021 were unfunded, this is a major setback, as many are pushed into poverty when they contract TB due to catastrophic costs, there is a need to increase funding for TB.” he said.
Dr Enang Oyama reiterated WHO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in developing, and implementing guidelines, plans frameworks to end the TB epidemic in Nigeria,
On his part, the Executive Director, KNCV Nigeria and Chair 2023 National World TB Day planning Committee, Dr Bethrand Odume stressed the need for more funding to both government and private sector institutions.
“Funding for TB has remained a key challenge to support programme activities towards closing the TB treatment coverage gap which stands at 66 per cent as of 2021.
According to him,” At a 69 percent funding gap, and over-reliance on external donor agencies for funding, sustaining TB programme in Nigeria will continue to remain a challenge.”
Dr Bethrand Odume who called for media support to eradicate the disease in Nigeria said funding for TB remained a key challenge to support programme activities towards closing the TB treatment coverage gap.
The National Coordinator, National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) Dr Chukwuma Anyaike stressed the need to create more awareness of the prevention, causes, and treatment of Tuberculosis in Nigeria
“We need to make much awareness creation and I’m challenging our colleagues from the media angle to help us, you have done so well, at least before it was 25% of Nigerians not knowing much about tuberculosis and the burden in Nigeria but we still have a lot of problems.”
”So as the number one principle of primary prevention, awareness creation comes in, we need to make much noise and it shouldn’t be just on an annual basis, we should try as much as possible to let people know, people hear of TB, I want us to expand it to tuberculosis”. Dr Anyaike said.