More than 18 Nigerians die from tuberculosis (TB) every hour, according to a recent report from the National Tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer, and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP).
This was revealed recently in Lagos during an integrated media parley hosted by Breakthrough Action Nigeria in association with the Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN), by Mrs. Itohowo Uko, Deputy Director, NTBLCP at the Federal Ministry of Health.
According to Uko, a laboratory scientist, tuberculosis is an infectious disease that spreads through the air and is mostly caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It can affect any area of the body.
Nigeria is one of the 14 nations with a high burden of tuberculosis (TB), and TB is one of the top 10 causes of mortality worldwide, according to the World Health Organization’s 2017 global report.
Two Nigerians out of every 1000 are thought to have tuberculosis. In 2017, the authorities received notifications about 104,940 TB patients, or around 20 percent of the total number of patients. This indicates that a significant proportion of TB patients in those neighborhoods are not being informed.
“TB kills at least 18 Nigerians every hour, and an untreated case can infect anywhere from 10 to 115 people annually.”
Nigeria leads Africa in the number of TB patients with the sixth highest global burden. The working age group was the most affected, with 63 percent of the 104, 904 people notified in 2017 falling into this age range, according to her.
Uko called on all stakeholders to express concern in order to guarantee that tuberculosis is eradicated in Nigeria, lessen the burden, and achieve a zero TB death rate, citing alarming data.
Regarding how tuberculosis spreads, she explained that it happens when a person who has tuberculosis of the lungs coughs, sneezes, sings, or speaks.
After a few weeks of treatment, she claims that TB is curable and the patient is no longer considered contagious.
“Any cough that lasts for two weeks or longer may be caused by tuberculosis (TB), and more research is necessary.”
She stated that “other signs of TB of the lungs include loss of appetite, drenching night sweats when others nearby are not sweating like that, and weight loss when you are not trying to lose weight.”
Dr. Cynthia Onwuteaka, a senior program officer of KNCV Nigeria, stated that tuberculosis (TB) is the second deadliest disease in the world, after COVID-19, earlier in March 2023, ahead of World Tuberculosis Day. She mentioned that the illness affects 500,000 people each year.
“There are 219 cases of tuberculosis for every 100,000 people,” she stated. With Nigeria’s population of over 200 million, you can verify that we should be looking at annual casualty rates in the area of 500,000.”
It is impossible to overstate the importance of the 2023 World Tuberculosis Day, which has as its subject “Yes, We Can.” Stakeholders will have the chance to raise awareness about how more people can get the critical care they need, she said.
Remember that the United Nations sets aside March 24 of each year to increase public awareness of the terrible effects that tuberculosis has on one’s health, society, and economy and to intensify efforts to put an end to the disease worldwide.
With 4,500 deaths each day, tuberculosis ranks among the top 10 causes of mortality worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
It has also been determined to be the primary cause of death for HIV patients.
However, the WHO stated that early detection and treatment are necessary to stop the disease from spreading to other people and that the illness is treatable and avoidable.