Lagos — Today, the U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and in partnership with the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR) handed over ten renovated Tuberculosis (TB) facilities and diagnostic equipment to the Government of Nigeria.
These renovated facilities, located in Lagos, Anambra, Oyo, Rivers, Kano, Bauchi and Katsina states, will provide life-saving services to patients for TB screening and treatment.
Nigeria faces a significant health challenge with a triple burden of TB, drug-resistant TB, and HIV-associated TB, placing it among the top 10 countries globally with the highest number of undetected TB cases globally. Ranking first in Africa and sixth worldwide, Nigeria accounts for 4.6 percent of the global TB burden. The country witnesses approximately 11 deaths every hour due to TB, amounting to nearly 264 deaths daily, over 8,160 monthly, and reaching 98,000 annually.
In 2022, USAID addressed Nigeria’s needs in TB care by accepting a $500,000 contribution from ASR Africa, focusing on TB control and gender-based violence.
This contribution aligns with USAID’s broader $78 million, five-year TB Local Organization Network Activity, aimed at detecting, treating, and reporting TB cases. Utilizing ASR Africa’s funds, USAID provided 11 TB Lamp diagnostic machines, along with laboratory supplies. ASR Africa renovated 10 Tuberculosis Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) centers; and distributed over 2,000 dignity kits to gender-based violence (GBV) survivors across seven selected Nigerian states, including Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, and Anambra.
The TB-LAMP diagnostic machines have enabled facilities to effectively diagnose TB and all individuals diagnosed with these machines have been placed on treatment for TB at the TB DOT centers renovated by ASR Africa. The contribution of dignity kits has also strengthened services for GBV survivors that are supported through USAID’s President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program.
USAID has partnered with the Government of Nigeria and private sector on the TB response since 2003. Through these efforts, USAID has contributed to a reduction in tuberculosis related deaths by nearly 50 percent.