Experts advocate gender-sensitive health policy to reduce TB transmission, mortality

Health experts have called for effective gender-sensitive health policy and practice to reduce Tuberculosis (TB) transmission, morbidity, mortality and associated treatment costs.

An Associate Professor at the Department of Community Medicine and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Clinical Sciences College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State, Toyosi Adekeye, who spoke at a media workshop in Abuja, stressed the need to address the gender disparity against men in TB care as it has significant socioeconomic and health implications.
   
Adekeye highlighted that the risk of TB among men is higher compared to women due to biological factors and poor health behaviour such as smoking, which increases their vulnerability.
  
He said: “More men than women are infected by TB, but fewer men seek help. Many men, especially those working in blue-collar jobs find it difficult to leave their work to seek medical care. As a result, not only do they suffer, but their families are also at risk.”
  
Adekeye, who is also a Research Uptake Manager at the Light Consortium, emphasised the need to design policies and programmes that consider men’s health-seeking behaviour and address the social determinants of health that affect them.
    
LIGHT Consortium is a six-year cross-disciplinary global health research programme funded by UK Aid, led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine working with partners in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, and the UK.