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By Lilian Nkem-Worluh
Governments at all levels have been urged to increase financial investments in the health sector in order to win the fight against tuberculosis in Rivers State and Nigeria in general.
Senior Programme Officer II, Breakthrough Action, Nigeria, Dr. Edor Joseph Paul, made the call while speaking at a one-day training on tuberculosis and tuberculosis related reporting for journalists, organised by the Rivers State Ministry of Health in collaboration with Breakthrough Action for Social and Behaviour Change, in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Dr. Paul who disclosed that recent statistics indicates that the rate of tuberculosis (TB) infection in Nigeria has reduced, said a total of 6,361 persons were diagnosed of the ailment in Rivers State in December, 2022.
He noted that the essence of the training was to bring media personnel in Rivers State together to understand the challenge of TB in the state which he said includes; poor funding and lack of access to some communities, and to collectively have a conversation on how to improve awareness around TB generally.
He also stressed the need for improved awareness and sensitization of the public on TB disease.
“Basically if you look at the Rivers State statistics on tuberculosis presented today, you would find out that the state made significant improvement in discovery of more tuberculosis cases from over two thousand cases to over six thousand cases over the last one year,” he said.
“We also know that media coverage for TB activities is also a challenge because we need more funding to be able to put more jingles out there regularly, we also need more funding for media persons to be able to collect human angles stories that presents the real challenge that people face in the communities and present to everyone across the state.
“Maybe, here in Rivers State we think that the reach of the media activity need to improve and at this level, a lot of effort is being done but more is needed for everyone in the villages to get this messages, he said.
Focal Person, Rivers State TB Unit, and Rep, Advocacy Community and Social Mobilisation, Tina Oghani, Dr. Nera Khadiri-Ene, Senior Programmes Manager of KNC and Mrs Nkoyo Umoh in their separate presentations said the fight to eradicate tuberculosis must not be left for health workers alone, but all hands must be on deck to achieve the goal.
They disclosed that all government/public and some private facilities (medical centers including chemists) in the state have been engaged for free testing and treatment of tuberculosis.
They however advised that anybody with identified symptoms of tuberculosis such as; sustained cough for two weeks or more, excessive sweat at night, chest pains, fever, loss of weight, etc. to visit the nearest facility for a test to establish whether the case is a TB infection, and warned against discrimination and stigmatization of those infected or treated of Tuberculosis.