Innovative community engagement and campaigns have been identified as one of the many strategies employed to fight Tuberculosis, TB, in Nigeria.

TB elimination advocates insist taking the fight to the grassroots is one major means of finding unreported cases as TB is not always hospital-based but a community issue.

The National Coordinator of African Coalitions on TB in Nigeria, Ibrahim Umoru, says the community engagement component is critical and must not be ignored.

Umoru made the remarks at the community sessions of the ongoing National TB conference in Abuja, where delegates from over 20 countries shared their country-specific experiences on TB elimination.

He noted that Nigeria has shown a lot of resilience, through its efforts and commitment, just like it did during the COVID-19 era, despite the lean resources.

Umoru, however, maintains that government commitment, media engagement and private sector participation are mostly needed at the grassroots to enhance case detection.

”TB is not a hospital issue, yes, you go to the hospital for medical treatment but the generality of TB cases comes from the communities
and that is why the community component is very important and we cannot keep quiet about it.

”Nigerians are innovative but the most important thing is your commitment, it takes you further, Nigeria has shown a lot to the world, our resilience and our efforts.

Dr Bolatito Aiyedigba, a Director for Tuberculosis at Breakthrough Action Nigeria, who highlighted some of the innovations used to increase case detection said the Check Am slogan, encouraged community people to test their lingering coughs.

”Some of the innovations were introduced during the COVID-19 era, COVID came with cough and cough is usually associated with tuberculosis as well. So it could be tuberculosis. Not every cough is due to COVID, so check it.

”Cough is due to different kinds of illnesses. And until you check, you will not know. And we also worked with the national TB hotline, when they call, they are directed on what to do, asked more questions and their fears are allayed, so they can get the appropriate testing. So that really, really helped. In addition to all the other innovations that came into the facility, testing was also improved.”

Aiyedigba also informed that the stigmatisation of people living with TB is still very high in Nigeria, noting that the country needs to tackle the menace.

”This is the next line of action that we’re going to tackle. Because now we’re fighting the TB cases, we’re putting them on treatment but we have to address the issue of stigma.

”And the stigma starts from self-stigmatisation, there’s no need to stigmatise yourself for having tuberculosis because tuberculosis is curable and treatable.

Innovative community engagement, campaigns best strategies to fight TB – Advocates