Statistics indicate that in 2023, there were approximately 486,000 cases of Tuberculosis, though only 320,283 were reported, which reflects a 66% notification rate. This means around 165,717 TB cases (34%) remain unreported.
This information was presented by Dr. Yakubu Gida, the Director of Tuberculosis at the Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Leprosy (BACATMA), during a technical dialogue meeting on TB funding held by LANGA Women Development Initiative at the NUJ Press Center in Bauchi on Wednesday.
While addressing the TB situation, he noted that Nigeria holds the highest number of TB cases in Africa, with an incidence rate of 219 per 100,000 people, and ranks sixth worldwide among the 30 countries with major TB burdens.
Dr. Gida emphasized that Tuberculosis is currently the leading cause of infectious disease-related deaths after COVID-19, having overtaken HIV/AIDS.
He reported that, globally, around 10.6 million individuals fell ill with tuberculosis in 2023, which includes 5.8 million men, 3.5 million women, and 1.3 million children.
To prevent TB, he underscored the importance of providing the BCG vaccine to children, ensuring that anyone who has been coughing for over two weeks is referred to DOTS centers, diagnosing cases promptly in hospitals, and adhering to the prescribed medication regimen by taking the correct dosage and completing a six-month treatment course.
Additionally, he stressed the need for cough etiquette among those who cough (such as covering the mouth while coughing and refraining from spitting on the ground), ensuring good ventilation in homes and workplaces, properly following through on treatments, and preventing and managing HIV/AIDS.
Discussing the status of the TB program in Bauchi state, Dr. Gida explained that Nigeria has a national TB prevalence of 330 per 100,000 people and an incidence rate of 219 per 100,000. Given an estimated population of 7,500,896 in 2023, this translates to an estimated 16,427 TB cases in Bauchi.
However, he noted that only 9,297 TB cases were reported by the end of 2023, resulting in a TB notification rate of 56%. Thus, over 7,130 (44%) TB cases are still unreported, contributing to ongoing transmission and categorized as “Missing TB Cases.”
Dr. Gida provided information on available resources, stating that there are 719 Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) centers in the state (with a target of 799 based on 10 per 100,000 population), 127 microscopy centers (targeting 340 at one per 50,000 population), 16 GeneXpert machines (aiming for one per local government area), 3 Truenat devices, and 8 TB Lamp facilities.
He identified several challenges in TB management, including insufficient funding from the budget, a lack of state financial support for TB, low community awareness of the signs and symptoms of TB, insufficient detection and reporting of TB cases, inadequate geographical coverage of diagnostic and treatment facilities, and limited private sector involvement in TB control efforts.
As a way forward, he recommended that the state government enhance the budget allocation for TB initiatives, ensuring timely disbursement. He called for increased community awareness efforts from BA-N and encouraged BACATMA to adopt proactive and innovative strategies to boost TB case detection and reporting, particularly among vulnerable groups such as people living with HIV, migrants, those in slums, and orphans and vulnerable children.
Moreover, he suggested expanding TB diagnostic and treatment facilities to nutrition clinics, congregate settings, and prisons to achieve universal coverage and incorporate new technologies. The NTBLCP (National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Program) should actively engage and encourage private sector participation in TB control.
In her opening remarks, Maikudi Grace, Executive Director of LANGA Women Development Initiative, emphasized the importance of domestic funding for tuberculosis management instead of relying solely on foreign donors and international development partners.
She highlighted the need for the Bauchi State Government to seek alternative funding sources for TB management, given the high incidence of the disease in the state.
Maikudi Grace also stressed the necessity of advocacy for timely budget releases for TB initiatives, along with effective monitoring of expenditures for these allocated funds.
She promised that her organization would persist in collaborating with key agencies and stakeholders to achieve the project’s objectives in Bauchi State.
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