By Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
Benue State Government has disclosed that it has treated a total of 1,939 patients for all forms of tuberculosis, TB in three months following a conscious implementation of a TB programme in the state.
State Programme Manager, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme, Dr. Kaior Akaangee, disclosed this while speaking to our correspondent in Makurdi on Tuesday.
Akaangee, who gave an overview of TB programme implementation in the state and the policies around its activities, said the patients were treated and successfully discharged between April 1 2024 and June 30, 2024.
The State programme manager while noting that the state government has done so much in TB case finding and treatment said “Active TB case finding through the state TB and Leprosy control programme and DOTs services commenced in 2001 in Local Government Areas, including Gwer East, Otukpo, Logo and Ohimini and 162 cases were diagnosed and placed on treatment.
“Currently, TB active case finding and treatment is obtainable in all the 23 LGAs. As of June 30th, there are 1,939 patients on treatment for all forms of TB.
“This number is the validated number of clients and active cases that were placed on treatment and not those diagnosed. Because of the robust strategies that has been in place, we always identify them early and as at June 30, no mortality was recorded in the state,” he said.
Akaangee urged the Benue public to seek medical help when they have any suspected TB case, informing that there is a treatment centre for drug-resistant TB cases at St. Vincent Hospital Aliade adding that those with latent TB and close contacts are placed on Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment, (TPT).
He noted that state government adopted several strategies in TB case finding by checking public and private places especially in communities and in key populations like IDPs, correction centres, HIV infected clients, nomads among others.
He said the programme is challenged by inadequate funding, ineffective monitoring, inadequate reporting, low case finding in children, resurgence of HIV, low stakeholder involvement and ineffective stakeholder collaboration, stressing that all hands need to be on deck as much has been done in active case finding and treatment and more needs to be done to eliminate the disease in the state.
He thanked Governor Hyacinth Alia for the huge budgetary allocation to TB programme, expressing confidence that the timely release of the funding and capacity building of health workers will go a long way to achieve targets of TB implementation in the state.
Akaangee further commended Lawyers Alert, an NGO, for launching Gender Equality Fund project to advance community rights and end gender barriers in the treatment of TB, HIV and Malaria in Benue and Nigeria at large, stating that partnership is the way to go for effective implementation of the program in the state.
He also said that laws tailored towards TB are needed to protect survivors and their right to life.