Sanwo-Olu moves to inaugurate committee on fight against Tuberculosis

To mobilise grassroots support to check the spread of Tuberculosis (TB) in Lagos State, the wife of the governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, will, today, inaugurate 10 female chairmen and 47 chairmen’s wives of 20 local councils, as well as 37 Local Council Development Areas (LDCAs), to raise awareness of the ailment among the populace at the grassroots.

Sanwo-Olu, who spoke, yesterday, during a media briefing, said that the inauguration of the TB ambassadors is a significant milestone in the collective fight against the disease that continues to pose a serious threat to public health globally and in Lagos State.

According to her, the TB awareness initiatives, advocacy reforms and sustainable budgetary lines to be implemented every year to ensure realistic care planning for the community have been in plan from the onset.

She said that the new inductees would educate, promote health-seeking behaviour, debunk myths and mobilise resources to foster community TB prevention among the populace.

Sanwo-Olu added that the establishment of the STOP TB Partnership and the TB Steering Committee marks a significant milestone in the state’s health agenda, which would strengthen the existing TB control programmes and birth new TB partnerships in the public-private sector.

“Tuberculosis is one of the most persistent and deadly infectious diseases that plague the world. It poses significant challenges to the public health system across the globe. According to the World Health Organisation’s Global Tuberculosis Report of 2023, in 2022, an estimated 10.6 million people; 5.8 million men, 3.5 million women and 1.3 million children, fell ill with TB worldwide, 2,480,000 people with TB in Africa with one person every 30 seconds and 479,000 people with TB disease in Nigeria in 2023 and 18,541 Lagos residents with TB in 2023.

She urged all stakeholders, including development partners, implementing partners, collaborating partners, healthcare professionals, community leaders, citizens, banks, philanthropists, religious bodies, politicians, law enforcement, legislators, among others, to work and re-strategise to break the old protocols to eliminate the stigma associated with TB and ensure people go and receive the support they deserve.