The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Tuberculosis

  • Nigeria listed among 22 countries with new TB cases

    Nigeria listed among 22 countries with new TB cases

    Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Friday revealed that a total of 190,000 new Tuberculosis cases were recorded in the country in 2011, out of which 27,000 persons died.

    The minister, who disclosed this in Abuja, on Friday, at the commemoration of the 2013 World Tuberculosis Day also said Nigeria is listed among 22 high burden countries in the world,.

    He stated that Nigeria contributed 80 per cent of the estimated 8.7 million new Tuberculosis (TB) cases globally in 2012.

    TB situation in the country, according to the minister is made worse by challenges of HIV co-infection, drug-resistant TB and TB among children.

    “The number of TB cases notified in the country has been on the increase over the years with about 97,799 TB cases notified in 2012. 81,156 of these cases (83 per cent) were tested for HIV with positivity rate of 26 per cent,” he said.

    The staggering revelation notwithstanding, the minister assured that the federal government is fully committed to providing substantial human and financial resources to tackle the disease in the country, including forging “new, strong partnerships to implement innovative strategies for the control of TB.”

    The minister, who also appealed to individuals and families to contribute to the fight against TB, said: “You can contribute to TB control efforts by identifying and encouraging anyone who has cough of more than two weeks duration to go for TB screening and supporting those on TB treatment to complete their full course of treatment which normally lasts six months.”

    He noted that in an effort to improve quality of care for TB patients in the country, about 83 per cent of them were screened for HIV in 2012.

  • Nigeria, Global Fund, seal agreement on HIV, Tuberculosis

    Nigeria, Global Fund, seal agreement on HIV, Tuberculosis

    Nigeria and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have signed five grant agreements worth 335 million dollars.

    This is to support programmes that would aid prevention and treatment of HIV and tuberculosis in the country.

    The information is contained in a release signed by the Head, Grant Management Division of the Global Fund, Mark Edington.

    Edington said the grant agreements were a critical part of the three billion dollars in 169 grants that the Global Fund has committed in 2012.

    “For Nigeria, the grant agreements address a tremendous need: Nigeria has the second highest number of people living with HIV in the world and only 30 per cent of people requiring HIV treatment are receiving antiretroviral therapy,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Edington as saying in the statement.

    He said that the grant-signing followed the launch in October by President Goodluck Jonathan, of a national program aimed at “Saving One Million Lives” by 2015.

    He said that Nigeria is committing $500 million to support the program.

    “Nigeria has made some big strides and to turn back now is unthinkable, but the challenges are formidable and much remains to be done.

    “There is now an excellent opportunity for Nigeria’s government to close the funding gap for antiretrovirals.

    “The HIV grants signed today will target “most-at-risk populations” such as female sex workers, men who have sex with men and injecting drug users.

    “Also, orphans and vulnerable children, including those infected with HIV; and HIV positive mothers who have recently given birth to children and are breast-feeding them,” the Global Fund chief said.