Tuberculosis is as deadly as COVID-19 ― Experts

The government has been advised to accord Tuberculosis (TB) the same awareness and energy as COVID-19 to stem its increasing spread among Nigerians.

Speaking at a one-day sensitisation programme on TB eradication for selected journalists in Kwara and Zamfara states, tagged, Agenda for Media Orientation on TB in Ilorin, the Director of National TB and Leprosy Control Programme, Mrs Uko Itohowo, said that the WHO global report had shown that TB kills 18 Nigerians every hour, adding that 157,000 persons died of TB in 2019 alone.

Mrs Itohowo, who called for synergy between the media and the people on TB, said despite the outrageous death from TB, the people are not well informed about how deadly the disease is.

“If the same energy given to COVID-19 awareness was put to TB awareness, there would be a drastic reduction in its spread,” she said

Mrs Itohowo, who said that TB is an airborne disease that is caused by microbacterium, added that it affects not only the lungs but every part of the body.

“Nigeria is one of the countries worldwide that is troubled by TB. This is why the need to visit the hospital when there is a little inconvenience in the body.

“Some of the symptoms of TB include cough, weight loss, night sweats and fever, and there’s a need to keep people informed about when there is a need to go to the hospital.”

According to Mrs Itohowo, the media can encourage people to make a decision that concerns their health and well being in general.

“Apart from the synergy, we know that the awareness for TB across the country is low and we want to increase the rate of awareness through the media and all other structures, as well as generate demand and eradicate discrimination and stigmatization of TB patients.

“During the 2020 initiative program, the report had it that out of 100 per cent of the people identified, 138,573 were placed on treatment and this amounts to 31 per cent of people with the diseases. This result proves that there is little improvement as against the 37 per cent or 36 per cent of people recorded in previous years,” she said.

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The 624 new cases reported between March 28 and April 3 is a reduction from the 849 recorded the previous week…Tuberculosis is as deadly as COVID-19 ― Experts

Tuberculosis is as deadly as COVID-19 ― Experts