Experts warn against rising tuberculosis cases as COVID-19 global effort continues 

By TOYIN ADEBAYO, Abuja

Ex[erts have warned that as the world continues to ramp up efforts to provide vaccines to millions in order to contain the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, other equally deadly diseases like Tuberculosis may be spreading silently but dangerously.

According to experts from the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme in a collaboration with Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, individuals must check themselves for Tuberculosis when coughing, as it may necessarily not be COVID-19.

This was made known at the 2021 World TB Day press conference with the theme: “The Clock is Ticking” and the slogan: ‘That Cough, e fit bi Tuberculosis not COVID-19 check Am O!’

This year’s World Tuberculosis Day, seeks to create awareness about the devastating health and economic impact of tuberculosis and also accelerate efforts to end the global TB epidemic, as statistics show that globally, one in four persons is infected with Tuberculosis.

 The Executive Director, KNCV TB Foundation Nigeria, Dr Berthrand Odume, urged citizens to get tested for Tuberculosis as people may be infected without knowing because they are asymptomatic.

He said, “Now with the TB infection, you can have the TB, but you are not manifesting the disease. When you come to the facility and we are asking questions like: Do you have a fever? Do you have a cough? Do you have weight loss or night sweat? It’s only people that have the disease that will respond positively to the questions.

“Then we can categorize them as symptomatic. But people that don’t have the disease don’t manifest the symptoms, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t have TB infection.

“Due to the fear of being diagnosed with COVID-19, case finding of TB patients was difficult as a lot of patients shy away from going to the hospital.

“We’ve noticed that with the stigma associated with COVID-19 and knowing the similarities between the two diseases, even people that have a cough, out of fear of COVID-19, deny that they don’t have a cough,” he explained.

Also, the Vice-Board Chairman of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Dr Queen Ogbuji, buttressed the point.

She said: “We know that with COVID-19, people are scared. Even people that are having TB and coughing are afraid to come out because they think they will be taken to the isolation centre and be tested for COVID-19.

“So we still have many people who may have TB but are afraid to come out. And that underscores the importance of engaging the communities.”

Meanwhile, the TB Team Lead, USAID, Nigeria, Dr. Temitayo Odutse, called for the strengthening of the health systems in the country.

“We are calling for a strengthening of the health system in Nigeria; we need to have peripheral health systems that the populace trust, primary health care centers they can walk into.” (Saturday Independent)