Dr Sani Mohammad, the Executive Secretary of Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria (BSTLCM), addressed a news conference to mark World Tuberculosis Day on Monday.
At the news conference, Dr Sabiu Gwalabe was represented by Mohammed, said the figure had increased by 2,154 since 5,652 was recorded in 2021.
The World Health Organization (WHO) established March 24 as World Tuberculosis Day, a global awareness campaign about tuberculosis and its impact on health.
He also said that the 2022 figure, which represents a 53 per cent increase from the 2021 level, was the highest recorded in state history.
“Out of the 5,518 new cases that were placed on treatment in 2022, about 5,192; that is 94 per cent were successfully treated at the end of the year.
“Bauchi State currently has 794 free tuberculosis treatment centres, 127 diagnostic centres and 15 GeneXperts,’’ he said.
Mohammed said the state government was working with implementing partners such as Breakthrough Action-Nigeria to conduct active case findings across Bauchi State.
He said that the 2023 World Tuberculosis Day would be celebrated with a series of phone-in television and radio programmes to increase awareness.
He added that the nutritional support program would help some patients, and the free testing and treatment for TB, COVID-19, HIV/AIDS Hepatitis B&C Malaria would also be provided.
During his remarks, Dr. Yakubu Abdullahi—the director of the Bauchi State Tuberculosis Control Programmesaid that the agency would train paediatric doctors from secondary and tertiary institutions on case detection among children.
He said that there was collaboration also between the agency and nutritional clinics in the state to detect tuberculosis in children.
“Diagnosing tuberculosis in children is a challenge, but we have decided to use their stools as samples,’’ Abdullahi said.
