Expert urges govt to fund research to end TB spread

Deputy Director, Cochrane Nigeria, Prof. Angela Oyo-Ita, has urged Government to fund institutions and individuals involved in Tuberculosis (TB) research in order to end the high burden of the disease in Nigeria.
Oyo-Ita said this yesterday in Calabar at a media roundtable organised by Cochrane Nigeria.
She disclosed that Nigeria ranked sixth out of seven TB high-burden countries in the World and called for a concerted efforts to tackle the menace.
“In Nigeria, the burden of TB is very high and we are working towards reducing it to by 95 per cent in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Government support in the area of funding research based institutions is highly needed. Government at all levels in the country must be proactive so, that we can reduce the high burden of TB cases in Nigeria,” she said.
She said Cochrane in collaboration with Institute for Tropical Disease Research and Prevention, University of Calabar, were working with all known research evidence to ensure that TB spread was curtailed in Nigeria.
She said the theme of this year’s Tuberculosis Day Wanted Leaders for a TB-free World, was aimed at drawing the attention of leaders on the menace of the disease with the view to finding a common ground to tackling the disease.
Dr Obaji Akpet, a Consultant Physician with the University of Calabar stressed the need for proper sensitisation on TB spread, adding that early detection was the way out.
“Religious Leaders, Community Leaders, Traditional Rulers among others, should sensitise their people on the dangers of TB to cub its continued spread. Everybody must be involved in the effort at ending the TB menace in our society.”
Also speaking, a Consultant Family Physician, University of Calabar, Joshua Nwankon, urged those suffering the disease not to abandon their treatment half way to avoid reoccurrence.
According to him, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that in the last one year over 10 million people fell ill from TB and almost two million died of it in 2016. (NAN)

 

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