By Milcah Tanimu

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has announced significant progress in Nigeria’s efforts to implement the 2018 UN High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) declaration on Tuberculosis (TB) control.

Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike, Director of Public Health at the ministry, made this announcement during the Pre-UNHLM on TB National Stakeholders’ Consultation in Abuja. The event was organized by Stop TB Partnership Nigeria in collaboration with the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP).

The 2018 UNHLM on TB resulted in the adoption of the Political Declaration on the Fight against TB in September 2018. Nigeria committed itself to implementing the declaration to achieve the set targets.

Despite being among the top 10 countries worldwide with the highest burden of TB, Nigeria has made notable strides in TB control. Dr. Anyaike, represented by Dr. Urhioke Ochuko, Deputy Director overseeing the Childhood Tuberculosis Unit, highlighted key achievements.

“We have detected more than 285,000 TB cases, achieving 60% of our target in 2022,” he stated. Additionally, Nigeria has strengthened its healthcare systems, focusing on training healthcare workers and establishing more TB treatment centers. Preventive TB treatment for Nigerians has also seen significant improvement since 2018.

Furthermore, Dr. Anyaike noted increased political commitment from the Nigerian government towards TB control, with additional funding from the government and its partners. However, he acknowledged that several challenges still exist in achieving the targets outlined in the political declaration.

These challenges include inadequate funding, low detection of child TB cases, and insufficient enrollment of diagnosed DR-TB (Drug-Resistant TB) patients in treatment programs. Dr. Anyaike called on participants to explore the possibility of increased investment in TB treatment and innovative financing strategies to align funding with the various interventions underway.

Mr. Mayowa Joel, Executive Secretary of Stop TB Partnership, emphasized that the 2023 UNHLM special session presents an opportunity for a comprehensive review of the political declaration. The theme for the 2023 UNHLM on TB is “Advancing science, finance, and innovation, and their benefits, to urgently end the global TB epidemic by ensuring equitable access to prevention, testing, treatment, and care.”

He highlighted that the UNHLM on TB is a pivotal political meeting for TB control, having secured commitments from Heads of State and governments, resulting in a substantial increase in financial resources for TB and saving millions of lives.

Joel underscored the need for Nigeria to develop a comprehensive and coordinated response to the UNHLM on TB.