FG expands TB treatment with additional 3,000 centres

The Federal government has expanded tuberculosis (TB) services to 3,000 additional health facilities across the country, bringing the total number of Directly Observed Therapy, Short-Course (DOTS) centres to 25,000 nationwide.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate made this known during a Ministerial briefing in Abuja.

Professor Pate represented by the Director of Port Health Services, Dr Nse Akpan,  emphasised that achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) remains central to the ministry’s mission to end the TB epidemic in Nigeria.

According to Pate as of 2023, 56% of the health facilities in Nigeria provided  DOTS services With the ongoing expansion efforts.

In 2024, the ministry secured a $50 million bond to support TB control efforts, with the private sector contributing 50% of the amount.

The minister highlighted that eradicating TB remains a top priority, and the NTBLCP, in collaboration with partners, has implemented several impactful interventions through the federal ministry of health and social welfare.

“Furthermore, the government is working to improve access to DR-TB services by engaging and capacitating local government areas (LGAs) and community levels. This initiative aims to ensure that more patients receive timely care and treatment, thereby reducing the spread of the disease.”

Also the Senior Communications Manager at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Mrs. Uzoma Nwofor,  stressed that TB’s persistence in Nigeria is deeply linked to poverty, malnutrition, overcrowding, and inadequate access to healthcare.

In a remark, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, represented by Dr Mya Ngon, stressed  the need for the Nigerian government to establish a dedicated, fully funded TB budget, especially in light of the USAID funding freeze.

She emphasized that adequate funding and an uninterrupted supply of TB commodities remain essential to reducing the burden on affected communities and achieving Nigeria’s TB elimination goals.