The Kano State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (KNS-TBLCP) has reported the detection and notification of 26,271 TB cases in 2022. Dr Ibrahim Gano, the State TB Programme Manager, disclosed this during the TIFA-SOFT project dissemination meeting in Kano on Thursday.
Gano highlighted that 9,941 cases were detected in the final quarter of 2022, marking the highest quarterly TB notification figure ever recorded in Nigeria. He emphasized the potential of any untreated TB patient to transmit the disease to about 10-15 people within a year. Given Kano’s status as one of the five high TB burden states and the most populous in Nigeria, this poses a significant public health challenge.
Speaking on the government’s response, Gano stressed the priority placed on quality healthcare delivery and the well-being of the people in the quest to make Kano a TB-free state. He mentioned the expansion of TB diagnostic equipment to reach remote communities, deployment of mobile TB screening tools and machines, and the training of healthcare workers on TB diagnosis, treatment, and reporting. Furthermore, he highlighted the expansion of TB diagnosis and treatment services to encompass more private health facilities, as well as enhanced collaboration with partners, Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), professional associations, and traditional and religious leaders.
Additionally, Iboro Girdon, the Project Coordinator of Tuberculosis Implementation Framework Agreement and Social Franchise for TB Contact Investigation (TIFA-SOFT), described the project’s objectives to improve the uptake of TB prevention therapy across private health facilities and increase contact investigation and screening. Girdon noted the involvement of Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) in finding cases and placing them on TB prevention therapy due to the lack of sufficient manpower in private health facilities for investigation.
She revealed that the project exceeded its target, achieving a 183% increase in TB prevention uptake. The initiative successfully placed 15,000 household contacts on TB preventive therapy and reached over 9,000 household index cases, providing them with TB prevention therapy, as stated by Girdon.
These developments underscore the vital efforts aimed at combating the spread of tuberculosis in Kano State. Such initiatives not only address the immediate healthcare needs of the population but also contribute significantly to the overarching goal of eliminating TB in Nigeria.
NAN
