Dr Cynthia Onwuteaka, a Senior Programme Officer with KNCV Nigeria, stated that tuberculosis is now the world’s second deadliest disease after COVID-19 as Nigeria prepares to celebrate the 2023 World Tuberculosis Day. This statement comes as Nigeria prepares to mark the 2023 World Tuberculosis Day.
According to her, the disease is responsible for the loss of 500,000 lives each year.
She did say that there was still a possibility of containing the infection with the help of recent advances in medical science, so all was not lost.
While she was explaining that tuberculosis is a contagious disease that can be spread through the air, she expressed her delight in the fact that the newly developed oral treatment regimen would help to reduce the disparity in the treatment of TB in Nigeria.
According to her, the rate of tuberculosis prevalence is 219 cases for every 100,000 people. If you check that against the population of Nigeria, which is approximately 200 million people, we should be looking at the range of 500,000 casualty figures per annum.
She urged the people of Nigeria to take precautions against the infection, which can be spread through coughing, sneezing, and other respiratory secretions from an infected person.
Onwuteaka acknowledged the role that the government plays in addressing cases of tuberculosis that have been reported in Nigeria, but he stated that there is always room for improvement.
She said that the significance of the 2023 World Tuberculosis Day with the theme “Yes, We Can” cannot be overstated, and she added that it would afford stakeholders the opportunity to create awareness on how more people can access the care that so desperately needed. She said that the 2023 World Tuberculosis Day will have the theme “Yes, We Can.”
