Health

Stakeholders advocate for shorter treatment regimes to end TB

Advocates for ending TB have encouraged people with persistent coughs to take testing and adhere to treatment afterwards to ensure Nigeria joins other countries to end TB by 2030.

The call was made at a World TB Day 2024 Media Roundtable on Shorter TB Regimens organised by the Plan Health Advocacy and Development Foundation, which also encouraged persons on treatment for tuberculosis to endeavour to complete their treatments in order to prevent elongating the process.

Mrs Adebola Temitope-Adams, a TB survivor and Co-Coordinator of TB People, a national organisation of TB survivors in Nigeria, pleaded that Nigerians encourage their friends and families who might be experiencing persistent coughs for up to two weeks to go for screening, and if diagnosed positive, to stick to the treatment regimens.

According to her, through disciplined adherence to shorter TB treatment regimens, individuals can avoid their own 7-year battle with tuberculosis and support Nigeria in eradicating the disease by the year 2030.

She said, “That is what we are encouraging people on shorter regimens, because some people, when they have TB after like 2-3 weeks when you start taking those drugs, feel very strong and believe that you are okay. As such, people at this time default.

“They stop going for treatment, and the TB now comes back with full force. Sometimes it comes as drug resistance. But if it is four months, you can tell them this is just four months. January, February, March, and April. In four months, you’re done.

“What we do as survivors is encourage people. Because the stigma rate attached to TB is so high, and we all know that. So we need to encourage people. Get tested; the treatment is free; the drugs are free. So if we encourage them to do all these things, we are getting close to ending TB by 2030.”.

The Executive Director of PLAN Foundation, Mr. Obatunde Oladapo, speaking on the advantages of a shorter regimen of TB treatment, stated that it does not only reduce the burden on patients but also enhances treatment adherence and completion rates.

“The world is clamouring for shorter regimens as it offers a beckon of hope in addressing these challenges by condensing treatment duration. Shorter regimens will not only reduce the burden on patients but also enhance treatment adherence and completion rates.

“Shorter regimens have a number of advantages, including improved adherence, reduced treatment failure, enhanced patient experience, and cost savings. With shorter regimens, we will do better in treating people, we will have fewer deaths, and we say yes, we can end tuberculosis through shorter regimens, which is a crucial step in achieving our objective of ending TB by the year 2030.

Sade Oguntola