Niger govt raises alarm on tuberculosis cases

The Niger State government has said the rate of TB infection in the state is alarming with a record 1,611 new cases at the end of 2015.

 

 It said the figure was only of those on admission at various health centres across the state, adding that the number could be higher especially in the rural areas, where ignorance of the disease was still prevalent.

 

 According to the TB/Leprosy Control Officer in the state, Joshua Isah, out of the 1,611 people suffering from tuberculosis, 15 percent has been confirmed to be also HIV positive. 

 

He said because of the threat the two conditions posed, the state government was re-energizing the capacity of health workers for early detection and significant reduction of viral loads in the case of HIV and total cure for tuberculosis patients, in addition to revitalizing primary healthcare centres across the state among other interventions.

 

 In an interview with Daily Trust in Minna, Mr. Isah put the quarterly projection of new tuberculosis cases at 1,256 adding that a huge gap of pending cases existed with 800 of the figures not undergoing treatment.

 

 He said although there are currently 177 health facilities across the 25 local government areas with 87 microscopic centres and expert machines, the rate of TB infection was alarming.

 

 He said low awareness even among medical personnel of the disease, non-involvement of private hospitals in early identification, manpower shortage and distance to microscopic centres among others were the many challenges militating against the on-going effort to rid the state of the menace.