NAN Archive

Loading

NAN Archive

Tag tuberculosis

Health

Lagos State has highest burden of TB in Nigeria- Stakeholders

L-R: Dr Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director, Global Stop TB Partnership, Geneva; Mrs Florence Ajimobi, wife of a former Governor of Oyo State and the representative of Dr Mrs Aisha Buhari; Dr Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, TB Champion of Lagos State and wife of Gov. Sanwo-Olu and Prof. Lovett Lawson, Board Chairman, Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, at a Dinner Forum with Corporate Sector on Mobilising Domestic Resources to end TB in Nigeria” in Lagos on July 14, 2019. (NAN/photo)
[/caption]

By Vivian Ihechu
Lagos, July 15, 2019 (NAN) The Lagos State Government, StopTB Partnership Nigeria and other stakeholders on ending tuberculosis say Lagos State presently has the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria.

They made the assertion at a Dinner Forum with Corporate Sector on Mobilising Domestic Resources to End TB in Nigeria”, in Lagos on Sunday.

Prof. Lovett Lawson, Chairman of the Nigerian Stop TB Partnership, said, “Lagos has the highest burden of TB in Nigeria, while Nigeria has the 6th highest burden of TB in the world and the first in Africa”.

According to Lawson, the challenge of TB in Lagos State is associated with large population and poor living conditions of those living in congregate settings with low awareness of TB.

He described TB as an airborne disease, which makes it infectious to all categories of people, irrespective of age, sex, ethnicity, class or religion, since we all breathe the same air.

“It is the leading cause of death in adults globally of all infectious diseases.

“The WHO estimates that no fewer than 1.6 billion people, about a third of the world’s population, are infected with TB.

“Of these, 9.6 million developed clinical TB in 2017 and the disease killed about 1.6 million people that year, compared to 1.2 million killed by HIV, 95 per cent of these occurring in the developing world with the majority in Sub Saharan Africa.

“However, of the estimated 9.6 million infected, only six million (63 per cent) were reported to WHO with a loss of about 37 per cent,” Lawson said.

He called for increased funding and commitment to reduce the scourge.

“We hope that at the end of this meeting, those of us here will be better enlightened and more committed to fight the war against TB.

“Governments of over 163 countries in 2015 promised to end TB by 2030.

“Unfortunately, at the current rate of TB decline, which is at 1.5 per cent, it will require a remarkable increase of over 10 per cent of funding by 2025 globally if we are to meet the target by 2030.

“TB can be eradicated with the required political will and adequate funding.

“The corporate sector- financial, manufacturing, telecommunications, oil and gas companies, have a critical role to play through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) to support efforts to end needless deaths from a curable disease affecting our dear county.

“Private sector funding from these organisations will be needed to make up the deficit in funding,” Lawson said.

He said that funding was needed for awareness programmes, well equipped DOTs centres with GeneXperts, at least in each local government area, improved socioeconomic standards and availability of TB drugs.

Dr Titi Goncalves, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, at a Dinner Forum with Corporate Sector on Mobilising Domestic Resources to end TB in Nigeria in Lagos on Jy 14, 2019. (NAN photo)

Speaking, Dr Titilayo Goncalves, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, commended the companies gathered for their resolve to mobilise resources to end tuberculosis in Lagos State .

Goncalves, who also represented Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, said: ” We need to take deliberate steps to reduce the spread of tuberculosis to help reduce putting the healthy population at risk.

“l commend Stop TB Partnership for their commitment in the goal of ending TB and specifically for its unrelenting involvement in the control and management of TB in Nigeria.

“In Lagos State, we are doing everything possible to stem the tide of the deadly and infectious disease.

“As a state, ranking highest in the number of TB patients in Nigeria, there is a need for drastic and urgent action to check the spread otherwise, our 22 million population may become fertile ground for the pandemic.”

According to her, the Lagos State Government has been making efforts toward curtailing the spread of TB.

“Toward this goal, we have developed strategies for the control, detection and treatment of TB in Lagos State.

“They include intensifying case finding in public facilities, intensifying case findings in primary facilities, active case finding among TB contacts, Gene Xpert optimisation and enhancing community awareness on TB.

“Within 16 years, the number of TB treatment centres in Lagos State has increased from six to over 1,008.

“We, however, need to step up our efforts as these facilities are inadequate, given the rate of population growth to stem TB spread in the state,” she said.

Goncalves identified the urgent need for strategy in partnership with the private sector to put an end to the dreaded TB which was estimated to reach an outbreak of four million cases by 2020.

She appealed to business leaders, corporate, financial and oil and gas organisations to partner with Lagos State Government, stakeholders and relevant organisations like StopTB partners in Nigeria to mobilise the needed resources toward ending the scourge of TB.

Making remarks on behalf of Agbami Partners, Ms Mitchelle Obatoyinbo, General Manager, Deep water Operations (a Chevron Company), said the parties align with the national strategy for health system strengthening through the strategy of achieving early case finding and proper case management of TB.

Obatoyinbo pledged the parties’ support for actions to address TB in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that climax of the event was the investiture of Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Wife of Gov. Sanwo-Olu as the TB Champion for Lagos State.

Dignitaries at the event included Sunday Ehindero, a former Inspector-General of Police; teams from the Federal Ministry of Health, Chevron and Agbami Partners, Global Stop TB partnership, World Health Organisation, USAID and Health Policy Plus.(NAN)
VIV/GOK
Edited by Olagoke Olatoye

Health

TB: Nigeria losses $0.26bn future GDP to DR-TB in 2017

TB: Nigeria losses $0.26bn Future GDP to DR-TB in 2017

By Vivian Ihechu
Tuberculosis
Lagos, May 9, 2019 (NAN) A new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit shows that Nigeria incurred 0.26 billion dollars losses of Future GDP (at Purchasing Power Parity – PPP) due to early mortality from DR-TB in 2017.
The report “A Call to Action: It’s Time to End Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis’’, published on Tuesday (May 7) by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), was made possible with support from Johnson and Johnson.
(Read Full Report on: http://www.eiu.com/graphics/marketing/pdf/its-time-to-end-drug-resistant-tuberculosis-full-report.pdf)
The EIU is the thought leadership, research and analysis division of The Economist Group and the world leader in global business intelligence for executives.
Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s deadliest infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis; annually 10 million people are estimated to develop active TB and approximately 1.6 million people die from it.

In the past 200 years alone, TB has killed over one billion people, more deaths than from malaria, influenza, smallpox, HIV/AIDS, cholera and plague combined.
DR-TB is an airborne infectious disease that does not respond to the most commonly used TB medicines, the Johnson and Johnson said in a follow up statement on Thursday.
“DR-TB is a particularly complicated form of the bacterial infection and is characterised by resistance to at least one of the most powerful drugs in the first-line treatment regimen.
“The reports said that based on current incidence and prevalence rates, DR-TB deaths in a single year are estimated to cost the global economy at least 17.8 billion dollars.
“This represents a loss of Future Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), due to deaths from DR-TB globally (230,000 in 2017).
“In addition, in a single year, DR-TB causes a loss of at least 3 billion dollars in PPP terms due to work absences in the approximately 100 countries for which data were available,’’ the report said.
The statement said the EIU report noted that in 2017 alone, DR-TB infected over 550,000 people, with cases in nearly every country globally and claimed 230,000 lives.
This is in comparison to the devastating Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which attracted significant international attention and investment, had a similar mortality rate and took the lives of approximately 11,000 people over a three-year period (2014–2016).
The statement observed that the global response, resources and preparedness are not keeping pace with the increasing spread of DR-TB.
“According to the Stop TB Partnership, there is currently an estimated funding gap of 3.5 billion dollars in 2018-2020 for TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment programs – a gap that is expected to increase considerably by 2022.
“An additional nine billion dollars are needed for research and development (R&D) by 2020 to develop new drugs, diagnostics and vaccines,’’ it said.
To address DR-TB, proper diagnosis and linkage to care are essential.
“This can be a particular challenge in low-resource settings where the majority of cases occur. Though effective treatment options now exist, three out of every four people with DR-TB go undiagnosed and untreated, and as a result, can each infect up to 15 additional people over the course of a year.
“Addressing TB provides good value for money. The benefit-to-cost ratio for investing in diagnosis and treatment of DR-TB specifically has been estimated at up to 23 dollars for every dollar invested.
“Additionally, if TB RD is fully funded, the world could see an estimated 8.4 million fewer TB cases and 181 billion dollars in productivity gains by 2030,’’ the J&J statement quoted the EIU report as recommending.
Jaak Peeters, Global Head, Johnson and Johnson Global Public Health, Janssen-Cilag GmbH, said: “The EIU report sounds the alarm on DR-TB; if the disease continues to be left unchecked the damage to people’s lives and entire economies could be devastating.
“Turning the tide on this disease requires that we act immediately,’’ Peeters said.
Also, Peter Sands, Executive Director, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, says innovation, collaboration, better execution, money and better use of data would be need to achieve the SDG ambition of ending TB by 2030.
NAN reports that Johnson and Johnson is the world’s largest and most broadly-based healthcare company.
Johnson and Johnson has long been committed to the fight against DR-TB, including by developing Janssen’s SIRTURO® (bedaquiline), the first novel TB medicine in more than 40 years and one of the last lines of defence against DR-TB.
Since its approval, the company has delivered more than 90,000 courses of bedaquiline to 118 countries, including the 30 highest-burden countries. (NAN)
Read report on http://www.eiu.com/graphics/marketing/pdf/its-time-to-end-drug-resistant-tuberculosis-full-report.pdf
VIV/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Tuberculosis: The Call to Action to End Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

 

Tuberculosis: The Call to Action to End Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

An Analysis  By Vivian Ihechu, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Lagos, May 9, 2019 (NAN) Antimicrobial (including antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal) agents are critical tools for fighting diseases in humans, terrestrial and aquatic animals and plants, but they are becoming ineffective.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become terrifying as diseases that were once easy to treat are being rendered virtually incurable.

One of such is Tuberculosis (TB), one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide, a curable and preventable disease caused by  the bacteria (Mycobacterium Tuberculosis) that most often affects the lungs.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), in its report “No Time To Wait: Securing the Future From Drug Resistant Infections April 2019’’, notes that drug-resistant diseases already cause at least 700,000 deaths globally a year, including 230,000 deaths from multidrug resistant tuberculosis.

The figure could increase to 10 million deaths globally per year by 2050 under the most alarming scenario if no action is taken, the report presented to the Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres says.

Recent discourse alerts that Multidrug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) remains a public health crisis and a health security threat, hence the urgent call to action to end TB and MDR-TB because of the huge economic, health, environmental, mental and social implications.

Also, ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is among the health targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.

A  new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) also emphasises the urgent need for focused global action to address the growing threat of drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) as it is the leading contributor to deaths from antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The EIU is the thought leadership, research and analysis division of The Economist Group and the world leader in global business intelligence for executives.

The report:“A Call to Action: It’s Time to End Drug Resistant Tuberculosis’’, published on Tuesday, May 7, was  made possible with support from Johnson & Johnson.

Read report: http://www.eiu.com/graphics/marketing/pdf/its-time-to-end-drug-resistant-tuberculosis-summary-report.pdf

According to the report, TB has been adjudged as one of the world’s deadliest infectious disease as nearly one-quarter of the world’s population, 1.7 billion people, are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis.

In most of them, the infection is in a dormant state; but every year, 10 million people develop active tuberculosis and approximately 1.6 million people die from the disease.

In the past 200 years alone, TB has killed over one billion people, this is more deaths than from malaria, influenza, smallpox, HIV/AIDS, cholera and plague combined.

On Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB), it is a particularly complicated form of the bacterial infection and is characterised by resistance to at least one of the most powerful drugs in the first-line treatment regimen.

DR-TB  is the leading contributor to deaths from antimicrobial resistance (AMR); it is an airborne infectious disease that does not respond to the most commonly used TB medicines.

The EIU report says that in 2017 alone, DR-TB affected 558,000 people in 2017, causing 230,000 deaths; only an estimated one in three people with DR-TB are diagnosed, and one in four treated.

Among the treated, only 55 per cent are cured.

To make matters worse, TB is airborne, and one untreated person can infect 10-15 others in a year through close contact.

Beyond its devastating impact on human lives and the global health security threat it poses, DR-TB also takes huge impact on the economy.

The analysis shows that DR-TB costs billions of dollars from loss of life and worker absenteeism, and could reduce foreign direct investment and tourism.

“Estimates and forecasts now show the enormous cost of inaction; unchecked DR-TB could cost the global economy 17 trillion dollars by 2050.

“These impacts will play out across multiple direct and indirect channels.’’

According to the report, based on current incidence and prevalence rates, DR-TB deaths in a single year are estimated to cost the global economy at least 17.8 billion dollars.

“This represents a loss of future gross domestic product in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, due to deaths from DR-TB globally (i.e., 230,000 in 2017).

“In addition, in a single year, DR-TB causes a loss of at least 3 billion dollars in PPP terms due to work absences in the approximately 100 countries for which data were available.’’

In Nigeria, the report shows that the country incurred 0.26 billion dollars Future GDP at PPP losses due to early mortality from Drug Resistance (DR-TB) in 2017.

Speaking with NAN in an earlier interview, Dr Victor Babawale, a Senior Medical Officer in the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTLCP), Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Abuja, had highlighted the challenges of MDR-TB.

“MDR-TB is resistant to drugs and it is more difficult to treat; it has a higher mortality and morbidity rate but in all, TB disease has high mortality.

“At least we have recorded 67 per cent out of a 100,000 population in terms of mortality rate of TB in Nigeria.

“From our data surveillance system, it shows that out of that estimated 400,000 cases of tuberculosis annually, we are only able to detect 140,000, which is one fourth of TB that can be detected in Nigeria.

“This means that ¾ (three over four) are out there spreading the disease and the mode of transmission of TB is easy, it is by air,’’ he said.

Alarmingly, the EIU report states that the estimates are conservative.

They do not include the economic impacts of work absences among the approximately 400,000 people annually with DR-TB who are not diagnosed and treated, or the nearly 70,000 estimated undocumented deaths from DR-TB.

Without urgent action and a robust policy response to reverse these trends, these costs will only grow, yet more people will lose their lives.

Jaak Peeters, Global Head, Johnson & Johnson Global Public Health, Janssen-Cilag GmbH says: “The EIU report sounds the alarm on DR-TB.

“If the disease continues to be left unchecked the damage to people’s lives and entire economies could be devastating.

“Turning the tide on this disease requires that we act immediately; by working together in new ways and with a real sense of urgency, we can end this deadly airborne threat,’’ Peteers said.

Going forward, addressing the trend requires the world to act immediately as the cost of inaction is high and it will require good value for money.

The EIU report says there must be investment in diagnosis and treatment of DR-TB because of the high benefit-to-cost ratio.

It also recommends full funding for Research and Development; also proper diagnosis and linkage to care are essential.

“Addressing DR-TB must align with other important health, economic and societal priorities.

“ National leaders, in partnership with other stakeholders, must be held accountable for progress to end DR-TB.

“Stronger public advocacy is required; it will be critical to ensure that governments and policymakers remain committed to the fight against DR-TB and tuberculosis as a whole.

“The voice of the TB community is critical for engaging a wider group of stakeholders to drive change,’’ the report advises.

Peter Sands, Executive Director, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, says innovation, collaboration, improved execution and better use of data are essential if we must achieve the SDG ambition of ending TB by 2030.

In summary, millions of lives can be saved over the coming years, and the very real threat of DR-TB can be ended by a combination of increased commitment, investment and coordination at the local, national and global levels.

“This disease can be ended, and we all have a role to play,” the report says. (NAN)
VIV/PDE
======
(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)

Health

World Tuberculosis Day : Expert advocates zero stigma 

Tuberculosis
By Victor Nwachukwu
Owerri, March 24, 2019 (NAN) Dr Godson Achugwo, a physician with the Holy Rosary Hospital,  Emekuku, has recommended zero stigma as a palliative for tuberculosis.
 Achugwo made the recommendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)  in Owerri on Sunday.
 Achugwo said that as the world marked yet another tuberculosis day,  it was imperative to address the challenge of stigmatisation against victims of pulmonary tuberculosis.
  The specialist paediatrician commended the efforts of the clergy who cooperated with the World Health Organization (WHO) towards the success of an “Integrated Holistic Approach.”
 According to him,  the clergy have largely  been of help in convincing potential patients such as  those coughing out blood that their problem is not necessarily spiritual and referring them to the hospital.
  “Those in such conditions are  exposed to stigmatisation because tuberculosis is a contagious disease and before long,  they begin to think of a spiritual solution,” he said.
 He further encouraged those with noticeable symptoms such as prolonged cough to seek medical care, adding that “tuberculosis care centres are scattered in all LGAs and both the tests and drugs are free.”
 “In the first two months that is the intensive phase,  we observe the patient take the drugs,  but in the last four months otherwise known as the continuation phase,  patients take the drugs on their own.
 “Studies have shown that if patients take their drugs for two consecutive weeks, the rate of spread of tuberculosis is reduced by almost 100 per cent ” he said.
Achugwo also commended the Federal Government for stemming the tide through provision of skilled manpower in government owned health facilities across the country.
 He, however, cautioned that since tuberculosis was neither hereditary nor incurable,  it would be unwise to discriminate against persons suffering the disease.
  “While it is a safety precaution to stay away from people who cough so much, we must be able to draw the line between precaution and stigmatisation.
 “Tuberculosis is not hereditary; it is also curable. Stigma should stop,” he said. (NAN)
  VIN /CHOM/IA
===========
Edited by Chioma Ugboma
Health

FG pledges commitment to TB control, donates TB detecting machine

Tuberculosis
By Vivian Ihechu
Lagos, Sept. 4, 2018 (NAN) Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that high premium was continuously placed on the health of Nigerians, while ending Tuberculosis (TB) remains on its priority list.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, gave the assurance on Tuesday in Lagos at the “National Public/Private Mix (PPM) Summit for Tuberculosis Control in Nigeria,’’ where a GeneXpert Machine was  donated to El-Lab Ltd.

The health laboratory firm is a private medical diagnostic and research centre.

The event was jointly organised by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), World Health Organisation (WHO), Lagos State Government, Stop TB Nigeria, among others.

Prof. Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health, presenting a GeneXpert Machine to Prince Elochukwu Adibo of El-Lab Ltd., Lagos…. on Tuesday

Adewole said: “To achieve our goal of ending TB epidemic by 2030, additional support and effort are required.

“We must expand our current frontiers of control of TB as the disease impacts negatively on the health, welfare of individuals and economy of the nation.

“We require active involvement of private healthcare providers and corporate organisations to make Nigeria free of TB.

“This event is a demonstration of the commitment of this administration.

“As part of our commitment to this partnership, a GeneXpert machine procured by FMoH will be handed over to one of the private diagnostic centres to support active TB case finding in Lagos State.”

According to him, to scale up this gesture to other centres, FMoH requests corporate organisations to be enlisted to support in the provision of diagnostic facility to other health centres.

He said that TB has serious consequences on the affected individuals, families and the nation’s economy.

“It has orphaned children and taken many breadwinners away with severe consequences on the economic welfare of families and also on the economy of the nation.

“This trend must not be allowed to continue,’’ Adewole said.

On efforts made by the ministry in controlling the scourge, Adewole said that the ministry had established the National TB Control Programme, which developed the National TB Strategy 2015-2020 framework.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the framework is aimed at addressing the country’s TB burden.

“The framework is consistent with the ‘End TB Strategy’ and incorporates the most recent internationally recommended diagnostic and treatment strategies.

“With support from a coalition of partners, the country currently delivers TB treatment and care through a network of over 7,000 health facilities accredited by the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) up from 3,931 in 2,010.

“Similarly, the number of Drug resistant TB (DR-TB) treatment centres has been progressively increased from 10 in 2013 to 28 in 2017.

“ There are ongoing efforts by the ministry to ensure Universal Coverage of TB care and prevention.

“To achieve this, a resolution was passed at the 60th National Council of Health meeting held last year, to include TB service delivery in the Primary Healthcare Minimum Health care package,’’ he said.

The minister added that the cutting-edged technology to enhance TB diagnosis in the country had also been developed.

Adewole said that, in spite of the progress recorded over the years, the TB control efforts was still challenging.

According to him, paramount are the issues of funding, creating awareness and stopping stigmatisation.

Others include locating an estimated 302,000 missing people with TB and 74 per cent of total estimated cases who were not detected annually. (NAN)
VIV/KTO/GOK
==========

Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo/Olagoke Olatoye

 

 

General news

Ogun govt., USAID flag  off  tuberculosis initiative

NAN-HG-9
Screening
By Temitope Salami
Ijebu-Ode (Ogun), Jan. 24, 2018 (NAN) The Ogun Government in conjunction with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has flagged-off a free tuberculosis screening programme in Ijebu-Ode.

The programme,  which commenced on Wednesday at Itantebo area in Ijebu-Ode,  was also launched simultaneously  across nine other local governments  across the state.

The programme tagged,  ‘Wellness on Wheels’, is part of the state government’s efforts at  providing affordable healthcare for people at the grassroots and ending the scourge of tuberculosis.

Speaking at the flag-off, the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government Council, Mr Gbolade Oduwole,  urged the people to take advantage of the programme in ascertaining  their TB status and getting free treatment.

“Affordable healthcare delivery is one of Senator Ibikunle Amosun led-administration cardinal programmes aimed at bringing succour to the people.

“This is another step where the impact of the government will be felt by the people. All you need to do is come for test and x-ray which is free,” he said.

Oduwole, who  urged residents of  Ijebu-Ode to always take cognisance of their health issues, gave an assurance that  continuous health education on the importance of check-up  would be provided.

Also speaking, Mrs Tinuke Otufowora, the Tuberculosis Control Officer for Ijebu-Ode Local Government Council, said the mobile screening programme was a welcome initiative.

She said the exercise would be on a rolling basis and had  been structured to accommodate everyone in  the state.

“We are going to five communities in the first phase of the programme in the next two weeks where Itantebo is the starting point.

“We have sensitised the people in the area to come out for test; that is  anybody that is coughing persistently  which we classify in TB treatment as the presumptive stage.

“If they have been coughing for two weeks or more. They have to come for test even if you are not coughing;  you can come for testing,” Otufowora said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other local government areas benefiting from the programme include  Ado Odo-Ota, Ifo, Abeokuta South and  Abeokuta North.

Others are Yewa North, Yewa South, Sagamu and Obafemi Owode Local Governments.(NAN)
TDS/OJO
========
(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

Health

TB: WHO holds 1st global ministerial confab

TB: WHO holds 1st global ministerial confab

NAN-HG-4

Tuberculosis

By Yashim Katurak

Abuja, March 24, 2017 (NAN) The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it will hold the first Global Ministerial Conference on Tuberculosis (TB) as part of efforts to end the epidemic by 2030.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said in a statement in Abuja on Friday that the conference would hold in Moscow and Russia in November.

She said this on the sidelines of the World Tuberculosis Day commemorated on March 24, annually with the theme “Unite to End TB”.

She said the global community had realised the big challenge of ending the TB epidemic by 2030, adding that the conference will help find ways of taking the fight to the next level.

Moeti said TB was still one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide.

She noted that while the number of TB cases was declining globally, there were a staggering 10.4 million new TB cases estimated in 2015.

She said over a third of these were still not diagnosed and treated, stating that those that had been diagnosed were yet to be registered by any national TB control programmes.

“The global community is realising the very big challenge of achieving this goal.

“To this end, 2017 will see the unprecedented First WHO Global Ministerial Conference on TB in November in Moscow, Russia.

“Also looking ahead to the UN High Level Meeting on TB in 2018 at the UN General Assembly.

“Doing things differently requires commitment to strengthen health systems, improve communication and up skill for health providers if we hope to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target of ending the TB epidemic by 2030.

“We will need to build on our achievements made during the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) era and reposition resources for best results and impact.

“This will mean uniting together to achieve universal health coverage, involving more than Ministries of Health.

“It means creating opportunities across society; other government departments, civil society and communities, non-governmental organisations and the private sector need to be part of the fight to end the TB epidemic within our lifetime,” Moeti said.

The regional director, advocated for the use of innovation in the fight against TB, stating that the organisation will continue to support countries in strengthening health systems in order to end the scourge.

She said that every fourth new TB case recorded was from Africa which has 16 of the top 30 countries with the highest TB burden.

According to Moeti, every third case of HIV-associated TB is from the Region, with 81 per cent of notified TB patients knowing their HIV status.

She said that Multi Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) continued to pose a serious challenge due to lack of adequate laboratory capacity to detect it and access treatment.

She said: “Because of this, seven countries currently have high levels of MDR-TB.

“In 2014, countries in the African Region agreed to reduce TB deaths by 75 per cent and new TB cases by 50 per cent by 2025.

“To attain these new targets, countries and partners need to intensify efforts to reach, treat and cure everyone with TB.

“In particular, the poorest and most vulnerable people who are disproportionately affected by TB need special attention along with undeserved areas which lack access to basic health services.

“These include migrants, refugees, ethnic minorities, miners and others working and living in risk-prone settings, the elderly, marginalised women and children in many settings.

“Factors such as malnutrition, poor housing, sanitation and other risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use and diabetes affect vulnerability to TB and access to care.

“This access is often hindered by catastrophic costs associated with illness, seeking and staying in care, and lack of social protection, resulting in a vicious cycle of poverty and ill-health,” she said.

Moeti therefore called on governments and other stakeholders to unite to end TB by working closely together to address the scourge of the disease ensuring no one was left behind.

She said that this would require more investments in health care in order to ensure no families were impoverished by the cost of treatment and care of infectious conditions like TB.

The director said the theme for this year’s celebration was the same as last year but with a special focus on “leaving no one behind” in line with the SDGs. (NAN)

KRY/GOM/MST

Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Muhammad Suleiman Tola