North Central accounts for highest TB rights Violations in Nigeria – Report

The North Central geopolitical zone has been ranked highest in Human Rights Violations Associated with Tuberculosis in Nigeria. According to the report of findings of a non-governmental human rights organization, the zone accounts for 51 percent of human rights violations in the country . It closely followed by the South West zone at 21 percent, […]

The North Central geopolitical zone has been ranked highest in Human Rights Violations Associated with Tuberculosis in Nigeria.

According to the report of findings of a non-governmental human rights organization, the zone accounts for 51 percent of human rights violations in the country .

It closely followed by the South West zone at 21 percent, South-South zone has 12 percent while the North East and North West were have six percent each and South East zone is at 4 percent.

For States with the highest violations, the FCT and Benue topped that chart at 22 percent, closely followed by Lagos State at 12 percent. Enugu, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Kano, Delta, and Edo came third at 4 percent. The states with the least reportage at 2 percent each were Cross River, Ogun, Kaduna, Oyo, Plateau, Ekiti, Gombe, Osun, and Akwa Ibom.

At the LGA level, Abuja Municipal ranked highest at 20 percent, with Guma in Benue State coming second at 14 percent, Alimosho in Lagos State was third at 8 percent, and in fourth place was Bauchi LGA in Bauchi State and Bomadi LGA in Delta at 4 percent. Other LGAs were recorded at 2 percent, respectively.

A comprehensive report of findings by Lawyer Alert on Human Rights Violations Associated with Tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria indicated that highest recorded violation relates to stigma and discrimination, accounting for 53 percent of incidents.

The Lawyer Alert report, arguably the first in Nigeria, offers an in-depth analysis of the human rights abuses faced by people affected by TB across the country.

The President of Lawyers Alert, Barrister Rommy Mom, called on government to encourage community-led initiatives, empowering people affected by TB (PATBs) to document experiences, share insights, and actively participate in decision-making for TB interventions.

Mom said the statistic points towards the challenges faced by persons affected by TB and emphasizes the need for comprehensive approaches in addressing their rights and protection.

Mom called on stakeholders to prioritize awareness creation and relevant training for healthcare workers, community members, and the public to reduce TB-related violations.

The report serves as a crucial resource for advocacy and policy-making, aiming to end stigma and discrimination and improve the quality of TB care and prevention services for Persons Affected by Tuberculosis (PATBs).

The project began in 2023 with the support of Stop TB Partnership, driven by a need to address the intersection of public health approaches to TB and human rights in the TB response. Lawyers Alert engaged with key stakeholders, including healthcare providers, civil society organizations, and TB survivors, to define and map out the indicators of rights violations associated with TB.

This collaborative effort laid the groundwork for the comprehensive data collection and analysis that underpins the report.