Bauchi State has reported the detection of 13,908 drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) cases and the registration of 12,092 cases on treatment, compared to 9,332 in 2023.
The disclosure was made by the State Commissioner of Health, Dr Sani Mohammed Dambam, during the 2025 World TB Day commemoration held on Monday in Bauchi.
He revealed that with an estimated TB target of 18,696 in 2024, the State achieved a 65% performance in TB Case notification, and out of the 9,069 new TB cases detected and registered for treatment in 2024, about 8,989 were successfully treated thereby achieving a 99.1% Treatment Success Rate (TSR) at the end of 2024.
Represented by the Director Medical Services, Dr Suleiman Auwal Abubakar, the Commissioner stated that, “With the current commitment of Bauchi state Government, this administration under the leadership of Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad, BACATMA has made significant progresses in terms of TB control both at the state and LGA levels.”
According to him, “In Bauchi State, there are currently 800 free TB treatment centers, 131 AFB Centers and 18 Gene-Xpert, 12 Truenat and 9 TB Lamp machines which are the latest machines that is use in the diagnosis of both the drug sensitive TB bacteria and the Drug-resistant strain of the bacteria that course Multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB) form of TB.”
“It is interesting to note that all the 20 LGAs in Bauchi state have at least one of the latest machines for Molecular diagnosis of TB.”
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In the area of interventions and sucesses recorded, the Commissioner stated that 40 new motorcycles were procured and distributed to 20 LGAs of the state to enable TBL Supervisors and their Assistants monitor the implementation of TB activities in their LGAs.
Also, 5 Portable Digital X-Ray Machines were allocated to the state while another batch is coming soon. Nine Truenat Molecular Machines were also allocated to the State.
“Our united effort is needed to reach those at highest risk for TB and to identify and implement innovative strategies to improve testing and treatment among high-risk populations.”
“At this juncture, I will like to call on all stake holders; International Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, religious and Traditional/Community Leaders, private sectors to join the drive to roll out this strategy and to reach, treat and cure all those who are ill from TB today,” he stressed.
The Commissioner stressed that TB, is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs explaining that it is transmitted from person to person through droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the disease.
He warned that, “If not treated, a person with active pulmonary TB disease will infect, on average, between 10 and 15 people every year. Tuberculosis is one of the eight (8) global health Campaigns marked by World Health Organization.”
He added that the World Health Organization (WHO) has set aside the 24th March of every year as the World TB Day stating that, “This is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of nearly 1.5million people each year, mostly in developing countries.
According to him, “Following the UN High-Level Meeting on TB in September 2023, the world has witnessed an unprecedented progress: a record 7.5 million diagnosed out of an estimated 10.3 million cases in 2022 – the highest number of people with TB ever diagnosed and treated in a year.
This made member states unanimously decided to keep last year’s theme of “Yes! We can End TB” to keep the focus on the amazing work done in 2022.
The Global focus on TB is clear: escalate funding for implementation, accelerate research and development for new tools including vaccines, enhance access to rapid molecular diagnosis and efficient treatments, prioritise TB prevention, address TB in children, and support the vital work in Communities, Rights, and Gender (CRG).
He stressed that, “It is my great privilege and pleasure representing the entire people of Bauchi State to join the globe in celebrating this year’s “World TB Day” with a theme “Yes! And a slogan “We Can End TB” commit, invest and deliver.
This affords us the opportunity to assess progress made towards achieving the End TB strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
“Nigeria Ranked 6th among the high burden countries and 1st in Africa with high burden for TB, MDR-TB & TB/HIV. Nigeria is among the ten countries that accounts for 77% of the global gap in TB case finding and contributes 9% to the global gap between TB incidence and notified cases.
“Despite being preventable and curable, TB sickens about 10 million people and kills 1.4Million year after year globally.”