NMA says Nigeria Has Highest TB Disease Burden In Africa

The Nigerian Medical Association on Sunday released a press statement calling on the Federal Government to make the fight against Tuberculosis one of its Centenary anniversary projects by massively investing in TB research activities towards the discovery of the much needed anti-TB vaccine.

As part of the group’s efforts to mark the 2013 World Tuberculosis Day, themed ‘In My Life Time,’ the President of the association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele said different stakeholders in the society need to wake up to the reality that Nigeria has the highest TB disease burden in Africa and 10th largest in the whole world.

“We therefore call on the federal government to accord top priority to budgetary allocations to the health sector by complying with the Abuja declaration of 2001 by allocating the prescribed 15% of Nigeria’s national budget to health care. This we believe, with sanity in public spending, would help to positively address many if not all, of Nigeria’s diseases of public health concern that continue to denigrate the image of our beloved country, Nigeria.” The statement read.

According to the 2012 global TB report, considerable progress has been made all over the world despite the insurgence of HIV/AIDS considered hitherto as a major impediment to the control efforts.

However, the statement disclosed that “communal violence, sectoral clashes, various forms of insurgences, natural disasters and deleterious effects of climate change, unhealthy living conditions; tend to paint a sordid picture for the future of anti-TB campaign in reality.”