By Abasi Ita
Public health experts and major stakeholders have expressed deep concern over the rising cases of Tuberculosis in Nigeria, warning that the situation is approaching a critical level that requires urgent government intervention.
Speaking at the sidelines of the 66th National Council on Health in Calabar, the stakeholders highlighted the urgent need for stronger state level funding and increased ownership of TB programmes, especially as global support continues to decline.
Ibrahim Tajudeen, Executive Secretary of the Country Coordinating Mechanism for the Global Fund, disclosed that international donor funding for TB is shrinking at an alarming rate.
He emphasized that external financial support should only supplement and not replace essential investments from federal and state governments if Nigeria intends to reduce the TB burden.
Nigeria remains one of the countries most affected by TB, recording about 500,000 new infections each year and one death every eight minutes. The country ranks sixth worldwide and first in Africa in terms of TB prevalence.
Tajudeen called on state commissioners for health to take greater responsibility in funding and delivering TB services, stressing that genuine ownership of public health initiatives must come from the states.
He also encouraged states to make better use of the one percent Consolidated Revenue Fund, which supports more than 13,000 primary healthcare facilities across the country.
Also speaking, Mayowa Joel, Executive Secretary of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, described the situation as a growing crisis that demands immediate and sustained action.
Joel noted that despite free diagnosis and treatment services being available nationwide, many Nigerians, particularly children, still die from the disease even though it is both preventable and curable. He revealed that children account for 57,000 new TB cases every year, with more than 80,000 eligible for preventive treatment, although only a small number actually receive it.
Joel stressed the need to close these gaps quickly to safeguard vulnerable populations and reduce avoidable deaths.
Stakeholders at the meeting agreed that Nigeria can still achieve the United Nations target of ending TB by 2030, but only if states scale up early testing, improve funding, and expand access to preventive care.
They warned that without immediate and increased commitment from state governments, along with innovative approaches to manage shrinking global support, Nigeria could lose significant ground in its fight against Tuberculosis.