Bauchi State records 7,806 TB cases
Dr. Sani Mohammad, Executive Secretary of the Bauchi State Agency for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Malaria, 7,806 cases of tuberculosis were reported in Bauchi State in 2022.
He made the announcement during a press conference to commemorate World TB Day in 2023.
At the press conference, Mohammed spoke in place of Dr. Sabiu Gwalabe, commissioner for health.
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According to him, the number was up 2,154 from the 5,652 reported in 2021.
To increase public awareness of tuberculosis and initiatives to end the pandemic, the WHO designated March 24 as World Tuberculosis Day each year.
He added that the 2022 figure was the highest ever recorded in the state, increasing by roughly 53% from the 2021 level.
“Out of the 5,518 new cases that were placed on treatment in 2022, about 5,192; that is 94 per cent were successfully treated at the end of the year.
“Bauchi State currently has 794 free tuberculosis treatment centres, 127 diagnostic centres and 15 GeneXperts,’’ he said.
Mohammed said the state government, in collaboration with implementing partners such as Breakthrough Action-Nigeria, was conducting active case findings across Bauchi State.
He said that the 2023 World Tuberculosis Day would be celebrated with series of phone-in television and radio programmes to increase awareness.
Nutritional support for some patients and combined free testing and treatment for tuberculosis, COVID-19, HIV, Hepatitis and Malaria, would also be provided, he added.
In his remarks, Dr Yakubu Abdullahi, Director, Tuberculosis Control Programme in Bauchi State, said the agency would train paediatric doctors from secondary and tertiary institutions on case detection among children.
He said that there was collaboration also between the agency and nutritional clinics in the state to detect tuberculosis in children.
“Diagnosing tuberculosis in children is a challenge, but we have decided to use their stools as samples,’’ Abdullahi said.
