New Telegraph

About 157,000 Nigerians die of TB yearly – NGF

…as country ranks 1st in Africa, 6th globally

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) yesterday expressed concern over the rising cases of deaths in the country as a result of tuberculosis disease. NGF Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi, in a message to mark this year’s World Tuberculosis Day, said Nigeria was one of the countries with the highest burden of TB, ranking first in Africa and sixth globally.

Fayemi said though the disease was preventable and curable, it had remained the deadliest infectious disease globally, noting that; “about 18 Nigerians die of TB everyday which translates to 432 people monthly and 157,000 yearly.” The governor noted that over the last decade, government and partners had implemented various intervention programmes to ensure that people with TB were found and treated, but regretted that the advent of COVID-19 pandemic and its control measures in 2020, further impacted on the health system, including TB services, setting back the progress made.

Meanwhile, Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nimkong Lar Ndam, also confirmed the country’s ranking as far as TB infection was concerned globally and in the continent. He made the confirmation in Chugwi, Vom District in Jos South LGA of Plateau State as part of the activities to mark the World TB Day.

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