Nigeria’s fight against tuberculosis is hindered by a glaring and deeply concerning issue – the extremely low diagnosis rates among children, which poses a significant threat to the country’s progress in combating the disease. Despite intensified efforts to identify and treat tuberculosis nationwide, the number of diagnosed child cases remains dismally low, sparking worry among healthcare professionals and experts in the field.
The World Health Organisation sounds a stark warning, labeling TB a global health menace that claims countless young lives, outpacing even HIV/AIDS in its deadly impact, and highlighting the urgent need for collective action to address this critical issue.
Africa shoulders an unfair share of this burden, with a staggering 320,000 childhood TB cases reported in 2022 alone, underscoring the imperative for enhanced detection and treatment strategies.
Dr. Johnson Babalola, a leading health expert and Programme Manager for Oyo State’s TB and Leprosy Control Programme, issues a passionate plea for media collaboration to amplify awareness and detection, as Nigeria struggles to protect its most vulnerable citizens from this stealthy killer that often hides in plain sight, its symptoms masked behind innocent young faces, making early detection and intervention a daunting challenge.
He stated, “For all cases, we expected that 15 per cent of TB cases detected should be children. But up until now, it has never been so. The highest we have got in Oyo State is 7 per cent. That means that we are missing children that have TB.”
Dr. Babalola explained that identifying tuberculosis (TB) in children is difficult because they don’t exhibit symptoms like adults do. Unlike adults, children often swallow their coughed-up sputum instead of spitting it out, making it hard to detect the infection.
He emphasized that TB remains a significant global health issue, with approximately one-third of the world’s population harboring the TB bacteria. These individuals are at risk of developing active TB disease if their immune system weakens, making early detection and intervention crucial.
“So, we want the media to propagate what individuals can do to prevent having TB disease and how we can reduce the spread of TB in the community through cough etiquette, hand washing, and support for individuals with the disease to ensure they are treated,” he stressed.
Dr. Iyabo Kareem, an epidemiologist from Oyo State, called on the media to amplify awareness campaigns about the warning signs and symptoms of infectious diseases like measles, monkeypox, Lassa fever, and polio, as well as promote prevention strategies in local communities.
She stressed that recent measles outbreaks in some areas could have been avoided if parents had ensured their children received timely vaccinations.
Earlier, Mrs. Toyin Afanchang, State Coordinator for USAID-BAN, emphasized the need to build on the progress made through the agency’s collaboration with the Oyo State Ministry of Health, which aimed to enhance public understanding of various health issues, including malaria, tuberculosis, Lassa fever, COVID-19, and other significant public health concerns, through targeted media engagement.
“USAID BA-N is not leaving but will continue to provide support and generate ideas for behavioural change communication,” she guaranteed.
