By Lizzy Carr, Bauchi
Bauchi state government says it detected 5,652 cases of drug susceptible tuberculosis in 2021 and is intensifying search for other active cases.
The state commissioner of health, Dr Samaila Dahuwa stated this whilel briefing newsmen at the state Agency for the Control of HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis, Leprous and Malaria (BACATMA) to mark the 2022 World TB Day.
According to him, the 4,430 figure is the highest that the state has ever reported, noting that with a high burden of the disease in Nigeria, the state government had made progress in terms of TB control and treatment.
“Out of the 4,430 new cases detected in 2020, at the end of their treatment in 2021 up to 94% were successfully treated.”
“The state currently has 719 free TB treatment centres, 127 TB diagnostic centres and 15 GeneXpert machines and three Truenat machines, which are the latest in the diagnoses of both Drug sensitive TB bacteria and the drug resistant strain of the bacterial that causes multi-drug resistant form if TB,” Dahuwa said.
The commissioner said with this year’s theme “Invest to Rnd TB; Saves Lives”, there is urgent need to invest resources to ramp up the fight against TB to achieve control and elimination.
The Executive Chairman of BACATMA, Dr Sani Mohammed Dambam, said the high figure recorded in 2021 shows that the Agency’s active case search is recording success.
