The Federal Government on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating tuberculosis as a public health issue by 2030 and achieving global TB targets by 2035.
This commitment was restated at the 2024 National TB Conference held in Abuja, themed “Public-Private Partnership and Integrated Service Delivery – Panacea to End TB in Nigeria.”
The World Health Organisation aims to end the global TB epidemic by 2035, including reducing TB deaths by 95%, TB incidence by 90%, and eliminating catastrophic costs for TB-affected households compared to 2015 levels.
In her special remarks, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the Global and National Stop TB Champion, reiterated her dedication to the fight against TB, focusing on public-private partnerships and integrated service delivery to ensure no one is left behind.
Senator Tinubu noted that despite progress, the global burden of TB remains alarming, particularly in low and middle-income countries like Nigeria. She said, “According to the 2024 WHO Global Tuberculosis Report, an estimated 10.8 million people developed TB in 2023, with 1.6 million lives lost. Of these, 12% affected the most vulnerable – children and young adolescents.”
She highlighted Nigeria’s high burden, ranking sixth globally and first in Africa, with approximately 467,000 TB cases reported in 2023. While progress has been made through the Tinubu administration’s efforts, civil society organisations, healthcare providers, and international partners, she emphasised the need for sustained investment and innovative strategies to overcome barriers to care and support.
The First Lady further stated, “As the Stop TB Champion, I am committed to the collective fight against TB. I believe the solution lies in strong public-private partnerships and integrated service delivery. I am pleased that funds I donated earlier this year have been used to procure additional TB diagnostic tools to enhance case detection.”
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, in his keynote address, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to eliminating TB. He emphasised the need for inclusive, rights-based, and gender-responsive approaches while highlighting the private sector’s critical role in TB control.
The minister announced that the Nigerian private sector has committed $25 million to support TB initiatives, including integrating TB control into workplace health programmes and expanding health insurance coverage. He also urged state governments to prioritise TB in their budgets and complement federal efforts.
The conference underscored the importance of collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovative strategies to improve TB detection, treatment, and prevention while addressing challenges such as funding gaps, stigma, and limited healthcare access.
Dr Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership Global, expressed optimism that with increased financing and collective action, Nigeria could lead Africa in the fight to end TB.
