Dr Emmanuel Adesokan, Consultant Pulmonologist at the University College Hospital, says tuberculosis is neither a spiritual affliction nor a death sentence.
Adesokan spoke in an interview with reporters on Tuesday in Ibadan to mark World Tuberculosis Day.
He said tuberculosis is curable when diagnosed early and preventable through collective action.
He emphasised that the disease affects all groups regardless of status, while survival depends largely on timely response and access to testing.
He urged anyone with a cough lasting more than two weeks to get tested at government facilities, noting that tests are free. He warned that delayed care from informal providers increases transmission and worsens outcomes.
According to him, symptoms include prolonged cough, night sweats, weight loss, and blood in sputum. He added that Nigeria’s health system faces challenges such as inadequate facilities, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and insufficient funding.
Adesokan said stigma remains a major barrier, causing underreporting and delayed diagnosis. He called for public education, survivor support, vaccination, community involvement, and improved access to laboratories and rapid diagnostic equipment.
He noted that childhood tuberculosis is often missed due to subtle symptoms. He added that Nigeria ranks first in Africa and sixth globally, recording about 500,000 cases annually and nearly 70,000 deaths.
Dr Victor Nelson of the Community Medicine Department, UCH, said Nigeria’s tuberculosis response reflects both progress and challenges, noting more than 450,000 active cases and a contribution of 4.6 per cent to the global burden.
Nelson said improved case detection shows progress, but many infections remain unidentified, sustaining transmission. He added that gaps affect men and children, while drug-resistant tuberculosis and TB-HIV co-infection complicate control efforts.
He described tuberculosis as a social disease driven by poverty, malnutrition, overcrowding, and inequality. He urged an updated national survey, stronger surveillance, better diagnostics, and the involvement of survivors to reduce stigma nationwide.
Nelson also called for increased domestic funding, improved infrastructure, and multisectoral action, warning that reduced international aid threatens progress. He emphasized that Nigeria must act urgently to end tuberculosis as a public health threat.
