Lagos Rallies United Front To Intensify Fight Against Tuberculosis

State Commemorates World TB Day with Awareness Walk, Stakeholders’ Engagement
Commissioner Calls for Collective Action to Achieve TB-Free Society
WHO Reaffirms Support, Citing Alarming Regional TB Statistics

Eko Hot Blog reports that Lagos State has doubled down on efforts to combat the persistent challenge of tuberculosis (TB), organizing an awareness walk and stakeholder’ engagement to commemorate 2024 World Tuberculosis Day.

The event aimed to raise awareness, galvanize support, and foster collaboration among various sectors in the fight against the disease.

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Addressing stakeholders from healthcare, international funders, and implementing partners, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, emphasized the urgent need for a united front to tackle TB head-on. He highlighted the profound global impact of the disease, stressing its enduring presence as a significant public health challenge affecting millions worldwide.

“Despite advancements, TB remains a formidable foe, causing immense suffering and loss,” stated Prof. Abayomi, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr. Oluwatoni Adeyemi. “With the theme ‘Yes, we can end TB,’ we must collectively work towards a TB-free world.”

While commending the State’s TB and Leprosy Control Programme, which successfully treated 18,546 TB patients in 2023, the Commissioner cautioned against complacency, emphasizing the ongoing need for vigilance and action. He called upon all stakeholders to join forces, urging increased awareness, improved healthcare access, and support for research initiatives aimed at prevention and control.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, highlighted the significance of World TB Day as an opportunity to raise awareness, celebrate survivors, and remember those who lost their lives to the disease. Represented by the Director of Disease Control, Dr. Ogboye underscored the continued threat posed by TB, citing Nigeria’s alarming rate of TB-related deaths and Lagos State’s significant contribution to the national burden.

The State Coordinator of the World Health Organization (WHO) Lagos Office, Dr. Chinenye Okafor, echoed the call for collective action, emphasizing the severity of the TB crisis in the African region. “One person is infected with TB every 30 seconds, resulting in 444 deaths per day in 2022 alone,” she said, underscoring the critical importance of sustained efforts.

Dr. Okafor reaffirmed WHO’s support for Lagos State’s TB control initiatives, highlighting the organization’s Country Cooperation Strategy, which prioritizes research and intervention to address TB effectively. With approximately 100 WHO-paid officers currently working in Lagos, she assured continued collaboration to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, and treatment efforts.

Drawing attention to the vulnerability of children to TB, Dr. Okafor emphasized the need for targeted interventions, noting a notable increase in pediatric TB detection. She stressed the importance of protecting children from TB to secure the future health of communities.