Plateau has 510 health facilities for TB control services – Health Commissioner

Plateau’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Cletus Shurkuk, says that of the 1,470 health facilities in the state, 510 offered integrated tuberculosis control services.

Shurkuk said this on Monday in Jos, when he briefed the press, to commemorate the 2024 World Tuberculosis Day, with the theme “Yes! We can end TB”.

According to him, 156 of the facilities offering TB integrated services are private health facilities, the other 354 were public health facilities.

The Commissioner lamented that in 2023, out of the estimated 11,004 TB cases in the state, only 4,697 were diagnosed, while 6,307 cases were missing (undiagnosed).

He said that a TB patient who isn’t diagnosed and placed on treatment was capable of infecting 10 to 15 persons annually.

Shurkuk said that the diagnoses and treatment of TB were absolutely free of charge and persons who experience persistent cough for over two weeks, night sweats and weight loss, should avail themselves for testing.

He further called on members of the public to desist from the act of stigmatizing persons with TB, as such fostered the spread of the disease as people with it may refuse to seek medical remedy due to the fear of being stigmatized.

He thanked Gov. Caleb Mutfwang for prioritizing the release of funds to make the state TB free.

The commissioner also thanked the various health implementing partners in the state for their contributions in making the state TB free.