LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR, BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU HAS CALLED FOR A RENEWED COMMITMENT BY CITIZENS TO END THE SCOURGE OF TUBERCULOSIS IN NIGERIA.
SANWO-OLU WHO MADE A COMMITMENT TO BUILD A WORLD CLASS INFECTIOUS RESEARCH INSTITUTE IN LAGOS AS THE AFRICA TB CHAMPION TO TACKLE TUBERCULOSIS AND OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES, SAID IT WAS WORRISOME THAT APART FROM NIGERIA BEING RANKED FIRST IN AFRICA AND 6TH IN THE WORLD FOR T.B PREVALENCE, MORE CHILDREN ARE COMING UP WITH DRUG RESISTANCE CASES.
TUBERCULOSIS IS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE CAUSED BY GERMS. THE BACTERIA IS SPREAD THROUGH THE AIR AND TRANSMITTED FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER and it AFFECTS THE LUNGS AND OTHER ORGANS OF THE BODY
ACCORDING TO FIGURES FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, WHO, AN ESTIMATED 18 PEOPLE PER HOUR DIE OF TUBERCULOSIS RELATED DISEASES IN NIGERIA, WHICH IMPLIES 432 PERSON EVERY DAY AND 156,000 EVERY YEAR.
WHILE NIGERIA IS RANKED AS 6TH CONTRIBUTOR TO THE GLOBAL BURDEN OF THE DISEASE AND FIRST IN AFRICA, KANO AND LAGOS STATES ACCOUNT FOR A LARGER PERCENTAGE.
THE QUEST TO FIND A LASTING SOLUTION TO THIS TB CHALLENGE INFORMED THIS GATHERING OF STAKEHOLDERS TO DELIBERATE ON STRATEGIES AND INCREASE DOMESTIC FUNDING TO END THE DISEASE
OUT OF THE $373 MILLION NEEDED FOR T.B CONTROL IN NIGERIA IN 2020, ONLY 31% WAS AVAILABLE TO IMPLEMENTERS WITH 7% FROM DOMESTIC AND 24% DONOR FUNDS, LEAVING 69% FUNDING GAP.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
