The Federal Ministry of Health has launched the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis (TB) Control, 2015-2020 and the Dissemination of the First National TB Prevalence Survey Report.
While delivering his keynote address at the event lately, the Supervising Minister of Health and Minister of State for Health, Khaliru Alhassan (Dr) said that until recently, the burden of TB in Nigeria was based on estimates. He noted as heart-warming the fact that the Federal Ministry of Health with the support of development partners has successfully conducted the first national TB prevalence survey in the country.
He also explained that TB is transmitted through the air which puts everyone at risk of being infected with the germs; saying with an estimated 9 million new TB cases globally in 2013, TB remains a disease of major public importance. He pointed out that based on projections from the survey result, Nigeria diagnosed and reported only 16% of the estimated TB cases in 2013. He further stressed that with this very low TB case detection rate, the country accounted for 15% (about 500,000) of the 3.3 million TB cases that were either not diagnosed or diagnosed but not notified in 2013.
Speaking at the occasion, the WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Rui Gama Vaz said that the survey report has been validated by WHO and other international partners. He intensified that this was necessary since the survey has revealed the actual burden of TB in the country which is almost 3 times what was previously estimated.
The Federal Ministry of Health and development partners including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria developed the new National Strategic Plan for TB Control 2015-2020 focused on the National Strategic Health Development Plan
ARFH is one of the two Principal Recipients of the Global Fund Grant to Nigeria (Round 9), TB Project, working to reduce significantly the burden, socio-economic impact and transmission of all forms of TB in Nigeria.
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