Osun, 31 March, 2023 - “I was coughing out blood persistently for weeks, had fever, weakness, night sweats, severe chest pain. I had bought drugs from a patent medicine store, but it was not working. 

I was later diagnosed with TB at the National Youth Service orientation camp when I fell ill,” says 23 years old Adewale Adebukola, residing in Osun state. 

Adebukola has since been placed on treatment and is getting better. 

Narrating her experience, Adebukola says she suffered psychological trauma after her diagnosis, but thanks to the government and World Health Organization (WHO), she is receiving free TB treatment and psychological care. 

As a word of advice, she encourages anyone coughing for two weeks or more to go to the hospital for testing and treatment as it is a free service. 

Although tuberculosis (TB) is preventable and curable, it is the second-largest infectious disease killer after COVID-19, as it claims 1.5 million lives every year globally. 

An estimated 10.6 million people developed TB in 2021, with Nigeria having the highest burden (467,000) of TB cases in Africa and accounting for 4.6% of the Global TB burden (WHO Global TB report 2021).

In the case of 29 years old Ogunsola Ayo, a carpenter residing in Osogbo, says he was diagnosed with TB in October 2022, after presenting at a health facility with shortness of breath, weight loss, body weakness and cough. 

“I was scared when told I had tested positive for TB and gone into seclusion, but with my wife's encouragement, I started treatment in November 2002. All the services, from testing to treatment have been free, he explains. 
Appreciating the government and partners like WHO for care and treatment, Mr Ayo, says apart from the free drugs, a transport stipend is also provided to encourage patients to pick up their drugs. 

Racing against time 
Racing against time to put an end to TB and attain the Sustainable Development Goal-3 (SDG-3), the Federal and state Government such as Osun, with partners including the WHO, are adopting various strategies to find the estimated 200,000 TB patients missed annually for testing, diagnosis and treatment. 

“A cough that persists for more than two weeks can be a symptom of TB, says the Osun State Director of Public Health, Dr Bello Akeem at the press briefing to mark the 2023 World TB Day in Osogbo recently”. 
Speaking to media personnel  and stakeholders, Dr Akeem says, Osun State has intensified efforts to improve TB case finding in the state. 

According to him, that the state won two awards in the TB programme – one for the highest case notification rate and the other for the best State Programme of the year award for 2022, 

Dr Akeem attributed the success to  robust community-based activities (both outreach and house-to-house approach) and effective collaboration with partners. Other interventions producing results include, active case search in all the LGAs through Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and partners as well as Regular 2-day TB outreaches at least once a week in all the LGAs among others.

He appreciated WHO and other development partners working on TB eradication saying the collaboration with the state Ministry of Health had made the achievement possible. 

In the past three consecutive years, Osun state notified 6,599 cases in 2020, 14,999 in 2021 and 22,799 cases in 2022. Currently, in Osun state, over 25,000 patients are benefitting from the TB programme. 

Not giving up 
Nigeria has a high triple burden of TB, Drug Resistant-TB and HIV-associated TB, as well is one of the 10 countries that contribute the highest number of missing TB cases globally.

To improve case finding, WHO with the funding support of Global Fund and USAID, continues to help Government in resource mobilization to improve testing, diagnosis and treatment.

The WHO Osun State Coordinator (SC), Dr Ahmed Bello says the effort of all health workers is pivotal to ending the scourge of TB in Nigeria. 

The SC explains that the WHO offers support to the state in the fight against TB by providing regular  technical oversight, monitoring and mentoring health workforce.

In his words, “WHO supports building the capacity of health workers in Osun state for TB case management and activation of health facilities for TB services. There is also ongoing provision of transport allowance for the sustenance and expansion of systematic OPD screening for TB in all tertiary and secondary HFs (Community Health Clinics are now included), explains Dr Bello. 

Furthermore, with WHO’s quest in the past 75 years to improve lives and TB eradication on its priority list, the Organization  has been providing technical assistance to the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the expansion of TB services in the country. 

Technical Contact:

Dr Bello Ahmed; Email: belloah [at] who.int (belloah[at]who[dot]int)