Nigeria has Higest Number of TB Cases in Africa

The Gombe State Program Officer of Tuberculosis (TB) and Leprosy Campaign Program (TBLCP) in northern Nigeria, Dr Siraj Abdulkarim, Tuesday said that Nigeria needed to do more to stamp out TB in the country.

Abdulkarim told journalists in Gombe, about 500km from Abuja that the 2007 Global TB report showed that Nigeria had the highest burden of the disease in Africa.

“The report states that one in every 25 Nigerians has TB. An estimated 380,000 new TB cases occur annually in Nigeria, while more than 105,000 Nigerians die every year as a result of the disease,” he said.

He explained that 334 TB cases were found in Gombe State in 2007.

Abdulkarim also said that the national treatment success target for TB was 85 percent “and that Gombe State was able to achieve 84 percent”.

He said that in 2007, TB case detection in Gombe State stood at 43 percent as against a national target of 70 percent.

Abdulkarim said that although the state was far from reaching the 70 percent case detection target, a remarkable increase was made when compared with the 38 percent recorded in 2006.

He said that TBLCP in the state had trained 2,168 heath professionals on TB treatment and detection in the past four years.

Abdulkarim said that out of the number, 91 medical doctors, 564 nurses and midwives as well as 1,487 community health workers were trained.

He said that the program also trained 23 pharmacists, 85 laboratory staff and three health planners.

He said that support came from the Global Fund and the Netherlands Government.

Source African Press Agency

Net News Publisher

Rate this:

2.5