By Dauda R PamMaiduguri
About 157,000 people may have been estimated to have died from tuberculosis, just as Nigeria is rated first in Africa and sixth globally as a high-burden country in transmission, according to the 2020 world health organization,WHO,report.
The Director, National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control, NTLC, Mrs Idara Uko, disclosed this to journalists, Tuesday, during a media training on Tuberculosis, TB, at the emergency operational centre, MAIDUGURI,BORNO state.
According to her, symptoms continue to rise as TB is an airborne infectious disease caused by the mycobacterium germ that affects the lungs and other parts of the body.
The Director said, it is also one of the top 10 causes of death globally, adding that, the WHO report of 2020 rated Nigeria first in Africa and 6th globally among the 30 high-burden countries.
She lamented the continued rise in TB transmission, especially in “Nigeria which is also on the list of 14 countries with the triple burden of TB, HIV associated TB and multiple resistant drugs”.
Mrs Idara Uko, noted that 138,573 which accounts for only 31% of TB cases were recorded in 2020 by the National Harmonization Data and that 69% of TB patients in communities across the country, are either not treated or do not notify the authorities.
“A case of untreated pulmonary TB can infect a maximum of15 persons a year,” she warned.
In her review of the World Health Organization (WHO) global report for 2020, she hinted that TB kills a Nigerian every hour, just as 47 people develop active TB every hour, including children and also warned that, “the Knowledge of TB transmission, symptoms and prevention is still low”.
The symptoms of TB, she said, comprises of coughing for two weeks with loss of weight and night sweats and low fever, though TB is spread through the air, persistent cough for two weeks or more could be the contraction of the disease.
She therefore urged the people to avail themselves for diagnosis and treatment early, or call the toll-free line,3340, as they are free of charge in all DOTS and DR-TB treatment centres.
The disease, she stressed is completely curable if detected and treated early.
