3 weeks ago
39 ARTICLE AD
No fewer than 1,939 tuberculosis patients were treated in Benue State in the past three months.
The State Program Manager, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Buruli Ulcer Control, Dr Kaior Akaangee revealed this while speaking to journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday.
The Program Manager who spoke on an overview of TB programme implementation in the state and the policies around its activities, said that the patients were successfully treated and discharged between April 1 to June 30, 2024.
Dr Akaangee noted that the state government has active TB case finding through the state TB and Leprosy Control Programme and DOTs services which commenced in the state in 2001.
He added that the control program started in four local government areas which included, Gwer East, Otukpo, Logo, and Ohimini of which 162 cases were diagnosed and placed on treatment.
Regrettably, the disease is now found in all the 23 LGAs of the state, saying, “Currently, TB active case finding and treatment is obtainable in all the 23 LGAs. As of June 30, there are 1,939 patients on treatment for all forms of TB.
“This number is the validated number of clients and active cases that were placed on treatment and not those diagnosed. Because of the robust strategies that have been in place, we always identify them early and as of June 30, no mortality was recorded in the state.”
Meanwhile, the program manager called on people of the state to seek medical help when they have any suspected TB case, stating that there is a treatment centre for drug-resistant TB cases at St. Vincent Hospital Aliade.
He added that those with latent TB and close contacts are placed on Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment.
To further control the disease and early detection, Akaangee said that the state government has adopted several strategies in TB case finding through checks in public and private places especially in communities and in key populations like IDPs, correction centres, HIV-infected clients, and nomads among others.
He however identified inadequate funding, ineffective monitoring, inadequate reporting, low case finding in children, resurgence of HIV, low stakeholder involvement, and ineffective stakeholder collaboration as major challenges in combating the disease.
While seeking the collaboration of everyone in tackling the disease in the state, Akaangee appreciated the State Governor, Hyacinth Alia for the huge budgetary allocation to the TB programme just as he expressed optimism that the timely release of funds and capacity building of health workers will go a long way to achieve targets of TB implementation in the state.
