… Says Counter Part funding has not been released in the past 3 years
PRESS RELEASE
WORLD TB DAY 2021- The Time is Ticking
Every March 24th has been set aside for the commemoration of Tuberculosis and to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB disease, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.
The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.
TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers. Each day, nearly 4000 lose their lives to TB and close to 28,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease. Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 63 million lives since the year 2000.
The theme of World TB Day 2021 – ‘The Clock is Ticking’ –conveys the sense that the world is running out of time to act on the commitments to end TB made by global leaders. This is especially critical in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that has put End TB progress at risk, and to ensure equitable access to prevention and care in line with WHO’s drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
One-third of the world’s population is estimated to be infected by members of the MTB complex which are collectively responsible for about three million deaths each year and over 95% of which occur in developing countries. The weakening of the immune system due to HIV has also increased the TB burden.
Nigeria with an estimated prevalence of 616 cases per 100,000 ranks first in Africa, and fourth among the 22 high TB burden countries in the world, and no fewer than 460,000 cases of TB are reported annually in Nigeria,
All these is happening despite the fact that TB is a curable infectious disease that affects individuals of all age brackets.
TB IN KOGI STATE
Four local governments in Kogi State have been described as having high level of Tuberculosis outbreak in the state. Data shows a spike in the prevalence of the disease and a more worrisome increase in the prevalence of Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB), especially in the Eastern Senatorial District (Ankpa, Dekina, Olamaboro, Ofu) since 2010.
CHALLENGES WITH TB ELIMINATION IN KOGI STATE
Poor funding:Almost 100% of the TB Programme in Kogi State is donor funded and this causes concern for sustainability going forward.
High tuberculosis prevalence to case notification ratio indicates low case detection
Inappropriate action by symptomatic respondents (poor health behavior of people)
Laboratory capacity
RECOMMENDATIONS
Need for improved budgetary allocation and actual fund releases to the State TB Programme as Counter Part funding has not been released in the past 3 years
Need for improved and effective behaviour change communication efforts to provide capacity to citizens to make the desired Sanitary behaviour
Implementation of the New Direction Policy on Health which provides for reduction, elimation amd prevention of Public Health issues such as TB
Thank you
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HAMZA ALIYU
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR