Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has expressed grave concern over the annual loss of 125,000 lives in the country due to Tuberculosis, describing the disease as an ongoing public health crisis.
Her remarks were made during a side event at the United Nations General Assembly, organized by the Stop TB Partnership.
The event, themed ‘Breaking the Resistance: Fighting AMR and TB Together for a Healthy Future’, focused on the dual threats of TB and antimicrobial resistance, emphasizing the need for joint efforts to tackle these health challenges on both national and global fronts.
In a statement released by her Media Aide, Busola Kukoyi, on Wednesday in Abuja, Mrs Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to eradicating TB, drawing attention to the immense toll the disease continues to take on the nation.
She noted that Nigeria bears one of the heaviest TB burdens globally, stressing that the yearly death toll is a tragedy that cannot be overlooked.
“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,” she stated.
Tinubu further emphasized the importance of increasing investment in research aimed at developing new tools, treatments, and vaccines, especially in light of the evolving threat of TB and the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
She underlined that without prioritizing research, the battle against drug-resistant TB could be lost.
“We must prioritise research that can outpace the growing threat of drug resistance,” Tinubu urged.
The First Lady expressed her confidence in the ability of health authorities and international partners to end the scourge of TB and AMR by 2030. She called for a unified approach to tackling the diseases, stressing that fighting them in isolation would not be enough.
“Addressing TB and AMR together is not just the smart way; it is the best and only way,” Tinubu asserted. “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.”
One of the most pressing issues highlighted by Tinubu was the airborne nature of drug-resistant TB, which has made the disease a major health challenge across communities for decades.
The difficulty in treating the disease with conventional methods underscores the need for a more integrated and strategic response.
In her call to action, she urged governments, international organizations, and the private sector to collaborate and come up with innovative solutions to combat TB and AMR, stressing that only a coordinated and multifaceted response would be effective in addressing the crisis.
Earlier in the event, the Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership, Dr. Lucica Ditiu, echoed Tinubu’s sentiments and encouraged stakeholders to leverage each other’s strengths as individual nations in the fight against TB.
The event was attended by notable figures including the wives of the governors of Kwara State and Imo State, Dr. Olufolake Abdulrazaq and Mrs. Chioma Uzodimma, as well as Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate. Health ministers from other nations were also present to support the global fight against TB and AMR.
Through these efforts, Tinubu hopes that a clear and actionable path toward ending TB and AMR can be forged, with Nigeria playing a pivotal role in leading the charge toward a healthier future.
