Lagos State is grappling with a severe tuberculosis (TB) crisis, as announced by the Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi.
In 2024 alone, 15,000 cases of TB have been diagnosed in the state, but alarmingly, there are an estimated 32,000 individuals living with the disease, leaving approximately 17,000 cases undiagnosed.
Mr Abayomi said: “According to the statistics that we get from the Federal Government, there should be 32,000 Lagosians with tuberculosis that we need to diagnose. We’ve only been able to diagnose about 15,000 this year if we add up all our numbers.
“Ladies, that means that there are 17,000 people in Lagos right now, walking around and living with tuberculosis that have not been diagnosed. That’s the first point I want you to understand; that there are people living with us in the community who have active TB that we have not diagnosed”.
The World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted Nigeria’s critical situation in a report released in March, noting that the country bears the highest TB burden in Africa, with 268 deaths occurring daily.
Many cases remain under-reported, exacerbating the risk of further transmission.
A significant gap in TB detection has been identified, particularly among children.
This issue arises from insufficient skills among health workers and a general lack of awareness regarding the disease.
Furthermore, TB services are not fully integrated into existing children’s health programs, such as nutrition and immunization, hindering effective intervention.
National statistics reveal that in 2023, over 361,000 TB cases were reported across Nigeria, with 9% of these affecting children—a concerning 26% increase from the previous year.
In response to this public health challenge, the Lagos State government has initiated community engagement efforts.
Female local government chairpersons and the wives of chairmen have been appointed as champions and ambassadors to help identify undiagnosed TB cases and facilitate access to free treatment facilities.
Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, the wife of the Lagos State governor, expressed her enthusiasm for the programme’s launch, which has been in the planning stages since 2019.
Cecilia Magbogunje, the Deputy Director and Programme Manager, emphasized the critical role of community leaders in raising awareness and mobilizing resources for TB control.
With these initiatives, Lagos aims to combat the TB crisis effectively and reduce the number of undiagnosed cases in the community.
