Stakeholders advocate for more funding, diagnosis access, awareness to curb TB burden

Public health advocates in Nigeria’s health sector have called for increased domestic funding, improved access to diagnosis, and sustained community engagement to tackle tuberculosis (TB), ahead of the 2026 observance of World TB Day.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Nigeria currently has the highest TB burden in Africa and ranks sixth globally, with an estimated 510,000 cases recorded in 2025 and an incidence rate of 219 per 100,000 population.

The stakeholders, on Tuesday at a pre-World TB Day press conference in Abuja organised by the Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, urged stronger collaboration among government, development partners, and the private sector to meet national and global TB control targets.

Board Chair of the partnership, Dr. Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, said TB remains a major public health challenge, with Nigeria accounting for a significant share of the global burden.

Ogbuji-Ladipo said the 2026 theme, “Yes! We Can End TB,” alongside the national slogan, “Led by the Federal Ministry of Health, Powered by the Communities,” highlights the need for strong government leadership backed by community-driven interventions.

“Ending TB requires strong leadership from government, while communities remain the driving force for awareness, prevention, treatment adherence, and accountability,” she said.

She acknowledged progress made through partnerships and advocacy but warned that declining donor support poses a risk to sustained response efforts.

“The global health financing landscape is changing, and donor support is becoming increasingly constrained. This makes domestic resource mobilisation for TB more important than ever,” she added.

She noted that World TB Day, observed annually on March 24, serves to raise awareness of the health, social, and economic impact of the disease and mobilise action toward ending it.

Director of Public Health at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Charles Nzelu, said the government has prioritised TB control, with improvements recorded in case notification and diagnosis.

He said new technologies, including the Pluslife Mini Dock platform, are being deployed to expand access to testing, particularly in underserved and remote communities.

“This near-point-of-care technology allows us to take molecular testing closer to communities, ensuring more Nigerians are diagnosed early regardless of location,” he said.

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Nzelu urged stakeholders to intensify awareness campaigns, noting that TB diagnosis and treatment are free at government-approved facilities.

He advised Nigerians with a persistent cough to seek prompt testing.

Data presented by the Acting National Coordinator of the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme, Clement Adesigbin, showed that Nigeria records about 510,000 TB cases annually, with an estimated 175,000 cases going undetected.

He identified stigma, funding gaps, and maintaining quality of care as key challenges, while highlighting opportunities in strengthening the health system and expanding private sector involvement.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Nigeria, Pavel Ursu, said ending TB is achievable with sustained investment, political commitment, and coordinated action.

Represented by the organization’s Cluster Lead Health Promotion, Disease Prevention, and Control (DPC), Mya Ngon, he noted that TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, with about 1.23 million deaths recorded globally in 2024.

He said Nigeria’s large number of undetected cases continues to drive transmission, stressing the need for improved early detection and treatment coverage.

On his part, the Executive Secretary of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Mayowa Joel, said the theme reflects both responsibility and opportunity for governments and communities.

He said that while national authorities must take ownership through policies, financing, and stronger health systems, communities play a central role in awareness, early detection, and treatment adherence.

Joel described TB as preventable and treatable, stressing that eliminating the disease is achievable with sustained commitment, innovation, and collaboration.

He also called for expanded access to diagnosis and treatment through primary healthcare and community-based services, while emphasising the urgency of increased domestic funding as external support declines.