Due to the several instances of unreported cases of tuberculosis in the country, it has been reported that around 91,534 Nigerians are infected with the disease annually. Nigeria has also been ranked among 22 high tuberculosis burden countries in the world with 322 new persons estimated among 100,000 patients and 44 persons out of 100,000.
Dr Mustapha Gidado, the country representative of Royal Dutch Tuberculosis Foundation revealed this during a sensitisation media workshop on the disease.
“Tuberculosis is a major threat to the existence of HIV and it is very important that both are treated simultaneously as already, 91,534 were notified of it in 2014, 85,891 adults, 5,643 children and 16,066 HIV positive individuals.”
He also stated that there are over 6,000 health facilities across the 774 local governments in Nigeria providing tuberculosis services and they include private, faith-based, tertiary, secondary as well as primary healthcare centres.
The disease could develop into a stage of drug resistant tuberculosis which takes 20 months for drugs intake and eight months of daily injections. Meanwhile, research is on-going globally to reduce the drug intake to a lesser period for effective treatment. The 2016 World Tuberculosis Day is expected to be commemorated on the 24th of March.
