By Kazeem Akolawole
The KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation Nigeria has disclosed that it has recorded 17,407 Tuberculosis cases in 2022 in which 2300 out of the number are children, in Katsina.
It also explained that one of those challenges is logistics for immediate sample movement to a testing site where a certain facility does not have the capacity for sample processing or testing.
The Katsina KNCV Senior Programme Officer, Dr. Oyawale Muzbau Olawale, said: “Katsina has a population of at least 8m people. In 2022 alone, about 185,000 were presumed to have the illness, and after testing them using different technologies which are also free, 17,407 People were found to have TB, among them being 2300 children”.
According to him, “The bigger challenge is insecurity in some local government areas that limited the extent of travel and quality programming in the state.”
He however said the strategy implementation programme witnessed a demonstrable progress from the excellent enrollment rate and reception to treatment adding that it is soothing to know that they won’t have to worry about any payment for a period of 6 months they will be on drug or 9 months as the case may be.
“The state TB programme supported by partners has done a fantastic job in finding the cases very actively in the health facilities both in the private and public sector. We also make effort to go to the communities to screen people using a systematic approach,” he said.
The Programme Officer therefore, advocated for improve security at the macro and state levels as well as more funding commitment from the state government and well-meaning individuals.
“More funds will mean procurement of more commodities, enhancement of existing structures and general improvement in service quality,” he added.
The World Health Organization (WHO) data has indicated that about 1.6 million people died of Tuberculosis in 2021 globally.
