The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has called on Lagos residents, including children, to join the ongoing fight against tuberculosis (TB) by raising awareness in their communities and schools. USAID emphasized that all age groups are at risk of TB and that, although the disease is curable, early diagnosis and treatment are essential to halt the spread of the bacteria *Mycobacterium tuberculosis*, which most often attacks the lungs. The World Health Organization reports that an estimated 66 million lives were saved worldwide through TB diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2020.
During the Integrated Community Health Outreach/School Health Club Launch in Ayobo, Alimosho Local Government Area, Consul General Will Stevens of the United States Consulate General in Lagos highlighted that ending TB is possible if everyone participates. The event, organized by the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) with USAID support under the USAID TB‑LON 3 Project, commemorated World Tuberculosis Day 2023, themed “Yes! We can end TB!” Stevens warned that untreated TB can lead to severe health complications and stressed the need for “African solutions to global problems, not only African solutions to African problems.” He noted that TB remains a major public‑health concern in Nigeria, with about 460 000 new cases each year, and that in 2022 roughly 69 000 Nigerian children had TB, yet only about 30 percent were diagnosed and treated.
Inaugurating a school health club at Orisunmbare Senior High School in Ayobo, Stevens expressed concern that undiagnosed TB could dampen the hopes and dreams of Nigeria’s youth. He praised the school for establishing the club, which aims to place young people at the forefront of awareness‑raising, stigma reduction, and action on health issues affecting them and their families.
According to the WHO TB report, Nigeria is among the 14 high‑burden countries for TB, TB/HIV, and multidrug‑resistant TB, ranking sixth globally among high‑TB‑burden nations and first in Africa. Dr. Charles Mensah, Managing Director and COO of IHVN, explained that the USAID TB‑LON 3 Project is being implemented in four South‑West states—Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Osun—to engage stakeholders in locating missing TB cases, rapidly scale up services, and strengthen resilient, sustainable TB‑control systems. He emphasized that one‑on‑one interaction, especially with children, is highly effective for spreading awareness and can have a massive impact if started early.
Earlier, Dr. Ibrahim Mustafa, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, urged residents who had been coughing for two weeks or more to get a free TB test, reminding them that both testing and treatment are provided at no cost. The outreach attracted a large turnout, offering free screening for TB, HIV, COVID‑19, and blood pressure. Residents and students interviewed expressed enthusiasm for the increased awareness and pledged to help locate missing TB cases in the state.
World Tuberculosis Day, observed each March 24, seeks to raise public awareness of the devastating health, social, and economic consequences of TB and to intensify efforts to end the global epidemic. Common symptoms of active pulmonary TB include a cough with sputum—sometimes blood—chest pain, weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats.
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