First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has said the loss of 125,000 lives annually due to Tuberculosis could not be ignored.
This was contained in a statement issued by her Media Aide, Busola Kukoyi, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.
The statement informed that Tinubu said this during a side event of the United Nations General Assembly organised by the Stop TB Partnership.
The First Lady reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating TB in Nigeria, highlighting the devastating toll the disease continues to take on the nation.
“Nigeria bears one of the highest TB burdens globally, and the loss of 125,000 lives each year is a tragedy we can no longer ignore.
“We must prioritise research that can outpace the growing threat of drug resistance”, she said.
Furthermore, she expressed confidence in the ability of the authorities to end the scourge of TB and AMR by 2030, adding that the fight against both diseases must be tackled together.
She called on governments, international organisations, and the private sector to collaborate on innovative approaches to fighting TB and AMR.
“Addressing TB and AMR together is not just the smart way; it is the best and only way.
“Our methods must include preventing new infections, raising awareness, and educating the public on the dangers of drug-resistant TB.
“It is not just a public health concern; it is a threat to global health security,” she said.
Tinubu informed that drug-resistant TB had plagued communities for decades and continued to be a major health challenge due to its airborne nature and resistance to conventional treatments.
She said that an integrated and strategic response to TB and AMR was critical in preventing the menace.
Earlier in her remarks, the Executive Director, Stop TB Partnership, Dr Lucica Ditiu, urged stakeholders to build on each other’s strengths as individual countries to fight TB.
The event was themed ‘Breaking the Resistance: Fighting AMR and TB Together for a Healthy Future’.
It underscored the need for joint efforts to combat the dual threats of TB and Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR) on national and global scales.
