"No fewer than 18 Nigerians die every hour of TB and one case of untreated TB can infect between 10 and 15 persons per year," Itohowo Uko, Deputy Director of NTBLCP, said.
The National Tuberculosis, Burulli Ulcer and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), has said no fewer that 18 Nigerians die every hour of tuberculosis.
Itohowo Uko, the Deputy Director of NTBLCP in the Federal Ministry of Health, stated this at an integrated media parley organised by Breakthrough Action-Nigeria in collaboration with the Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) in Lagos on Friday.
According to NAN, Uko, who is also a laboratory scientist, described tuberculosis as an airborne infectious disease caused by the germ, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis which affects the lungs mainly, but may affect any other part of the body.
Her words: ”According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2017 global report, TB is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide and Nigeria is classified among the 14 countries with high burden of TB. It is estimated that two out of every 1,000 Nigerians will have TB; 104,940 TB patients representing about 20 per cent of existing patients were notified to the authorities in 2017.
“This means that there is a huge number of TB patients in communities that are not notified.
"No fewer than 18 Nigerians die every hour of TB and one case of untreated TB can infect between 10 and 15 persons per year.
”Nigeria has the sixth highest burden of TB patients globally and first in Africa; of the 104,904 patients notified in 2017, 63 per cent were aged between 15 and 44; the working age group is the most affected."
Uko, who described the statistics as scary, called on all stakeholders to work towards reducing the burden, as well as reach zero TB deaths.
She listed the signs and symptoms of TB to include: persistent cough of two weeks or more, unexplained weight loss, drenching night sweats, loss of appetite and disclosed a toll free number, 08002255282, for people to call if they showed any of the symptoms.
In her remarks, Dr Bolatito Aiyenigba, Deputy Director, Malaria and Tuberculosis Project of Breakthrough Action-Nigeria, said the project focused on Integrated Health Social Behaviour Change in the country.