Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The federal government said it had expanded tuberculosis treatment services, increasing the number of treatment centres from 12,606 in 2019 to approximately 23,000 in 2024, and achieving about 57 per cent coverage of all health facilities in Nigeria.

It said tuberculosis (TB) remained one of Nigeria’s most pressing public health challenges, with the country ranking sixth among the 30 high TB burden countries globally and first in Africa.

Relatedly, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Trinity Challenge, in collaboration with Jhpiego, hosted a high-level workshop in Abuja to address the health challenges posed by stock control and the prevalence of substandard and falsified antibiotics.

The workshop brought together health leaders, researchers, and technology experts to design and test innovative, data-driven solutions to the pressing issues.

Meanwhile, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global TB Report 2024, Nigeria was among the eight countries that accounted for over two-thirds of the global TB burden, with an estimated 467,000 new TB cases in 2023.

Only about 285,000 cases were identified, leaving a substantial detection gap of nearly 40 per cent.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, restated government’s commitment yesterday at a Ministerial Press Briefing in commemoration of 2025 World TB Day in Abuja.

Pate said the ministry, through the NTBLCP, and with the support of dedicated partners, had implemented several impactful TB control interventions

He said the ministry aligned its commitment to ensuring good health for all Nigerians, as outlined in SDG 3.

Pate stated, “To advance our Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda, we have significantly expanded rapid molecular testing platforms for TB.

“The number of GeneXpert machines has grown from 32 in 2012 to 513 in 2024, while Truenat machines increased from 39 in 2022 to 372 in 2024, and TB LAMP equipment from 52 in 2022 to 275 in 2024.

“Additionally, we have expanded TB treatment services, increasing the number of DOTS centers from 12,606 in 2019 to approximately 23,000 in 2024—achieving about 57 percent coverage of all health facilities in Nigeria.”

Pate said the ministry had also aligned with the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for TB (2021-2026), in active case-finding efforts targeting key and vulnerable populations, as well as clinic and hospital attendees. He said they were delivering positive outcomes.

According to him, Routine TB screening for outpatients is now conducted in all tertiary and many secondary health facilities, along with over 500 high-burden primary health centres (PHCs), contributing approximately 10 per cent to the 2024 TB notifications.

The minister stated, “We are prioritizing the use of mobile digital X-ray units equipped with artificial intelligence, operated by trained radiographers, to enhance TB screening among key and vulnerable populations.

“Currently, around 400 mobile digital X-ray platforms are deployed across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. This technology has significantly improved the sensitivity of our TB screening tools, allowing us to detect more cases – including asymptomatic TB – that might have otherwise been missed.”

The current acting board chair of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Dr. Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, said the campaign against the spread of TB was yielding positive outcomes.

Ogbuji-Ladipo acknowledged the support by government and other stakeholders, particularly, the pledge made by the first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to give N1 billion in aid of efforts to eradicate tuberculosis in Nigeria.

Senior Communications Manager, Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria, (IHVN), Ms. Uzoma Nwofor, said since 2019, IHVN had played a pivotal role in expanding TB case detection through private healthcare provider engagement, rapid diagnostics, and community-based interventions.

Nwofor stated, “Through the Global Fund-supported grant (2021–2023), IHVN optimised over 400 GeneXpert diagnostic sites and facilitated the deployment of other rapid molecular diagnostic platforms nationwide.

“Under the current Global Fund Grant Cycle 7 (2024–2026), we are supporting the deployment of over 190 portable digital X-ray systems enabled with artificial intelligence for TB screening in high-burden areas. Between 2021-2024 alone, IHVN-supported facilities tested over 3.5 million individuals, leading to the detection and notification of more than 350,000 TB cases, significantly contributing to Nigeria’s national case notification targets.”

To highlight the dangers of antimicrobial resistance and as part of a broader global effort, The Trinity Challenge launched a Community Access to Effective Antibiotics competition, offering a £1 million prize fund for the best data-driven solutions to antibiotic stock control and substandard medicines.

Application for the competition remains open until April 24, 2025.

With antimicrobial resistance threatening to undermine modern medicine, stakeholders described the Abuja workshop as a critical step toward finding sustainable, scalable solutions.

They said the effort at improving antibiotic access and regulation was a matter of life and death

Director General of NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, alerted on the looming dangers of antibiotics abuse.

Idris said, “We may be walking with our eyes wide open into a future where antibiotics no longer work. AMR is not a problem for tomorrow it is a crisis we are facing now. If we fail to act, medicine will fail us when we need it most.”

He said stockouts, unregulated sales, and low awareness were turning treatable infections into life-threatening conditions.

Participants at the workshop explored how better stock control and tackling substandard antibiotics could save millions of lives, particularly, in low- and middle-income countries.

According to experts, nearly three million of the 7.75 million annual bacterial sepsis deaths could be prevented with access to commonly used, affordable antibiotics, such as penicillin and amoxicillin.

On his part, Chief Operating Officer of The Trinity Challenge, Louise Goughh, highlighted Nigeria’s leadership in the fight against antibiotic resistance.

According to Goughh, “Today has been an exciting and enlightening opportunity to collaborate with Nigerian health experts, who are at the forefront of tackling antibiotic-resistant infections.

“This workshop is proof that multi-disciplinary collaboration can drive solutions to these challenges.”

Jhpiego’s Project Director, Dr. Yemisi Ogundare, spoke on the urgency of addressing antibiotic shortages and counterfeit drugs, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Ogundare said, “Ensuring access to effective antibiotics is a fundamental step toward safeguarding global health.

“Today’s workshop marks a significant leap toward solving these challenges through innovation, collaboration, and technology.

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