Hussaini Ibrahim 
KANO, Nigeria – The Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment has warned that shortages of tuberculosis medicines and diagnostic supplies in Kano State could trigger a major public health crisis if urgent action is not taken.
Speaking on Saturday in Kano, SOCCEE Executive Director Sunusi Hashim said the lack of critical tuberculosis commodities has disrupted diagnosis, treatment and patient referrals across healthcare facilities.
According to him, shortages of GeneXpert cartridges—essential tools used for tuberculosis testing—persisted throughout the first and second quarters of 2026.
“The challenge is that we identify suspected cases and collect samples, but facilities lack commodities for diagnosis,” Hashim said.
He revealed that between 3,000 and 4,000 tuberculosis patients may currently be without treatment due to the shortage, despite ongoing efforts by civil society groups to identify and refer suspected cases.
Hashim noted that SOCCEE has expanded tuberculosis interventions to 30 local government areas, identifying more than 1,500 confirmed TB patients and enrolling about 800 individuals on treatment.
However, he warned that continued shortages could lead to increased disease transmission and undermine years of progress in tuberculosis control.
“This shortage is not just affecting patients currently on treatment, it is also weakening the entire response system because diagnosis, referral and treatment are all being disrupted,” he said.
According to him, the existing ₦250 million allocation cannot provide enough GeneXpert cartridges to satisfy monthly demand.
Tuberculosis remains one of Nigeria’s leading infectious diseases, with Kano among the states carrying a significant burden due to its large population and gaps in case detection and treatment access.
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Mirian Gom 
Oluwatobi Adu 