Nigeria ranks amongst nations with high cases of TB,HIV/AIDs
The 2017 Global TB Report has ranked Nigeria amongst the 14 countries with high rate of Tuberculosis, Human Immune Virus, HIV/AIDs and Multidrugs Resistant Tuberculosis, MDR-TB in the world.
The country is also ranked 7th among the 30 high TB burden countries and 2nd in Africa.
Minister of Health, professor Isaac Adewole who disclosed this on Friday while commemorating the 2018 World TB Day in Abuja also said that Nigeria also falls among the 10 countries that account for 64 percent of the global gap in TB case finding.
According to Adewole, the TB burden was further compounded by the menace of drug resistance TB (DR-TB) and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
” In 2017, the country notified only 109,904 out of the estimated 407,000 all forms of TB cases (with treatment coverage of 25.8%), leaving a gap of 302,096 comprising undetected or detected but not notified cases especially in non-DOTS sites.
“In the same year, the proportion of Childhood TB was 7% of all forms of TB cases compared to 10% recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, a total of 1783 DR-TB cases were notified out of the estimated 5200 DR-TB cases. countries for TB, TB/HIV and MDR-TB. India, Indonesia and Nigeria account for almost half of the total gap” Adewole stated.
The Minister further said that the ministry in its response to the TB burden has developed a robust National Strategic plan for (2015 – 2020) as well as a framework to support the declaration of 2017 as a year of accelerating TB case finding and treatment in Nigeria.
“The implementation of the NSP for TB (2015 – 2020) though not without its limitations has brought noticeable improvements in TB control activities.
“To accelerate TB case finding, the country has now moved from passive to active case-finding in key affected populations, including PLHIV, children, urban slum dwellers, prisoners, migrants, internally displaced people and facility-based health care workers, to target those most at risk for TB.
While stressing that over 11,500 cases of TB were detected through active house to house case search in 2017, professor Adewole added that Nigeria currently has 6,753 DOTS centres compared to 3931 in 2010.
He said that the total number of microscopy centres has risen from 1,148 in 2010 to 2,650 in 2017. “GeneXpert machines installed in the country have increased from 32 in 2012 to 390 in 2017.
“Treatment centres for patients with DR-TB have expanded from 10 in 2013 to 27 in 2017. The number of TB reference laboratories has also increased from 9 in 2013 to 10 in 2018. Over 90% of the TB patients notified in 2016 have documented HIV test results compared to 79% in 2010.
“In addition to this, shorter drug regimen for the treatment of DR-TB was introduced in Nigeria in 2017 to reduce the treatment duration for patients with DR-TB and ensure better treatment outcomes. All States have commenced treatment of eligible DRTB patients on shorter regimen treatment. I am delighted to inform you that the new pediatric anti-TB formulations for treatment of drug susceptible TB will be launched this afternoon.
“The formulations are both dispersible and flavoured and meet the WHO optimal dosing recommendations for all children. It is our hope that this new formulation will improve adherence and treatment outcomes.
The engagement of key professional bodies like the Thoracic Society of Nigeria, Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) and Nigerian Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (NISPID) is being prioritized as paediatricians are the ones piloting the affairs of the National Childhood TB Steering Committee (NCTSC). The National electronic TB information management system (NETIMS) was recently developed to improve real time reporting and monitoring of TB cases.
“All States actors have been trained and are reporting using this platform.
The Private Sector Engagement for TB is also being vigorously looked into as there is a robust Public-Private Mix (PPM) engagement plan for TB.
Similarly, during the last National Council on Health (NCH) meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun state, a resolution was passed mandating all private health facilities in the country to compulsorily notify TB cases”.
He added that as a means of strengthening TB notification in some challenged states, the ministry has recruited TB Surveillance officers in 12 states (Rivers, Delta, Imo, Anambra, Lagos, Oyo, Benue, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi and Taraba) to work with non-NTP facilities (private Health facilities, Patent medicine vendors, community Pharmacist), disease surveillance and notification officers, state epidemiologist and state TB programme officers to improve TB case notification.
The theme of this years’ world TB day is “Find and Notify all TB cases while the slogan is “Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free Nigeria.” The theme according to the ministry was carefully selected to enable it build on the current achievements.
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The country is also ranked 7th among the 30 high TB burden countries and 2nd in Africa.
Minister of Health, professor Isaac Adewole who disclosed this on Friday while commemorating the 2018 World TB Day in Abuja also said that Nigeria also falls among the 10 countries that account for 64 percent of the global gap in TB case finding.
According to Adewole, the TB burden was further compounded by the menace of drug resistance TB (DR-TB) and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
” In 2017, the country notified only 109,904 out of the estimated 407,000 all forms of TB cases (with treatment coverage of 25.8%), leaving a gap of 302,096 comprising undetected or detected but not notified cases especially in non-DOTS sites.
“In the same year, the proportion of Childhood TB was 7% of all forms of TB cases compared to 10% recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, a total of 1783 DR-TB cases were notified out of the estimated 5200 DR-TB cases. countries for TB, TB/HIV and MDR-TB. India, Indonesia and Nigeria account for almost half of the total gap” Adewole stated.
The Minister further said that the ministry in its response to the TB burden has developed a robust National Strategic plan for (2015 – 2020) as well as a framework to support the declaration of 2017 as a year of accelerating TB case finding and treatment in Nigeria.
“The implementation of the NSP for TB (2015 – 2020) though not without its limitations has brought noticeable improvements in TB control activities.
“To accelerate TB case finding, the country has now moved from passive to active case-finding in key affected populations, including PLHIV, children, urban slum dwellers, prisoners, migrants, internally displaced people and facility-based health care workers, to target those most at risk for TB.
While stressing that over 11,500 cases of TB were detected through active house to house case search in 2017, professor Adewole added that Nigeria currently has 6,753 DOTS centres compared to 3931 in 2010.
He said that the total number of microscopy centres has risen from 1,148 in 2010 to 2,650 in 2017. “GeneXpert machines installed in the country have increased from 32 in 2012 to 390 in 2017.
“Treatment centres for patients with DR-TB have expanded from 10 in 2013 to 27 in 2017. The number of TB reference laboratories has also increased from 9 in 2013 to 10 in 2018. Over 90% of the TB patients notified in 2016 have documented HIV test results compared to 79% in 2010.
“In addition to this, shorter drug regimen for the treatment of DR-TB was introduced in Nigeria in 2017 to reduce the treatment duration for patients with DR-TB and ensure better treatment outcomes. All States have commenced treatment of eligible DRTB patients on shorter regimen treatment. I am delighted to inform you that the new pediatric anti-TB formulations for treatment of drug susceptible TB will be launched this afternoon.
“The formulations are both dispersible and flavoured and meet the WHO optimal dosing recommendations for all children. It is our hope that this new formulation will improve adherence and treatment outcomes.
The engagement of key professional bodies like the Thoracic Society of Nigeria, Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) and Nigerian Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (NISPID) is being prioritized as paediatricians are the ones piloting the affairs of the National Childhood TB Steering Committee (NCTSC). The National electronic TB information management system (NETIMS) was recently developed to improve real time reporting and monitoring of TB cases.
“All States actors have been trained and are reporting using this platform.
The Private Sector Engagement for TB is also being vigorously looked into as there is a robust Public-Private Mix (PPM) engagement plan for TB.
Similarly, during the last National Council on Health (NCH) meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun state, a resolution was passed mandating all private health facilities in the country to compulsorily notify TB cases”.
He added that as a means of strengthening TB notification in some challenged states, the ministry has recruited TB Surveillance officers in 12 states (Rivers, Delta, Imo, Anambra, Lagos, Oyo, Benue, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi and Taraba) to work with non-NTP facilities (private Health facilities, Patent medicine vendors, community Pharmacist), disease surveillance and notification officers, state epidemiologist and state TB programme officers to improve TB case notification.
The theme of this years’ world TB day is “Find and Notify all TB cases while the slogan is “Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free Nigeria.” The theme according to the ministry was carefully selected to enable it build on the current achievements.
We bring the news to you as it comes.....
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