From Moses Emorinken, Abuja
In a bid to up the ante in case detection, treatment and other challenges frustrating the holistic fight to end tuberculosis (TB), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has promised to support the federal government in the treatment of 1.2 million Nigerians.
The USAID Nigeria Mission Director, Stephen Haykin made this known in Abuja during the close-out dissemination meeting of the organization’s tuberculosis activity called – Challenge TB.
Challenge TB, which is implemented by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation has provided support for the country’s National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control programme since 2014.
Haykin said that the support would be provided under the ‘Global Accelerator to End Tuberculosis’, which is a strategy to help partner nations progress along their journey of self-reliance. It is also aimed at building capacity to address the sundry challenges of TB in the country.
In his words, “Since 2014, Challenge TB has provided technical support to the National TB programme in 14 states, helping to close the gaps in diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, contributing to improving access to TB services, preventing TB disease progression, and strengthening TB service delivery platforms.
“Over 581,000 Nigerians were treated for tuberculosis under the Challenge TB programme between 2014 and 2018”.
Read Also: Tuberculosis: Nigeria records highest infection rate in Africa
Recall that in 2018, the federal government pledged that 1.2 million Nigerians would be under treatment by 2022. This renewed commitment by the USAID will further ensure that the federal government’s pledge is achieved, and people suffering from TB get unhindered access to adequate and qualitative care.
The Director of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Umoh Mildred Ene-Obong, said the programme helped the country in the areas of case finding, strengthening of the health system, demand creation, technical support and research.
He also assured that all assets of the programme handed over to the national, states, local governments would be put into good use to ensure quality health service delivery.
On his part, the KNCV Country Director, Bethrand Odume, called for the strengthening of the health sector in Nigeria as this is the major challenge confronting the fight against TB.
“The major challenge is the weak health system. We can provide the drugs and all other things but when you don’t have people at the facility to attend to them, it becomes a challenge. You know people normally receive TB services at the lower level of health care”.
A TB survivor, Yahaya Kasimu, narrated how he was placed on Tuberculosis (TB) treatment for six months and now he is free from the disease.
According to Kasimu, a graduate of Islamic Studies from the Nasarawa State University, “When our school clinic discovered that I was coughing, they gave me a note and advised me to go to the nearest primary health care centre to take samples of my sputum. When they ran the test, they called to informed me that I was infected with TB.
“I was immediately placed on weekly drugs for six months. After consistently following their instructions and taking my drugs for the six months, I was healed. I no longer have TB.
“I did not pay anything. I want to thank the American people. Nobody will thank KNCV more than me because they saved my life”.
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