First lady decries loss of 125,000 lives to tuberculosis

The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has decried the staggering loss of 125,000 lives annually due to Tuberculosis (TB) describing the disease as a relentless public health crisis.

According to a statement by her Media Aide, Busola Kukoyi, on Wednesday in Abuja, Tinubu said this during a side event of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) organised by the Stop TB Partnership.

The event was themed “Breaking the Resistance: Fighting AMR and TB Together for a Healthy Future”.

It underscored the need for joint efforts to combat the dual threats of TB and AMR on national and global scales.

Tinubu reaffirmed commitment to eradicating TB in Nigeria, highlighting the devastating toll the disease continues to take on the nation.

“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 said.

She called for increased investment in research to develop new tools, treatments, and vaccines to tackle the evolving threat posed by TB and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

“We must prioritise research that can outpace the growing threat of drug resistance,” she said.

The first lady expressed confidence in the ability of the authorities to end the scourge of TB and AMR by 2030, adding that the fight against both diseases must be tackled together.

She called on governments, international organisations, and the private sector to collaborate on innovative approaches to fighting TB and AMR.

“Addressing TB and AMR together is not just the smart way; it is the best and only way.

“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,” she said.

Tinubu said that drug-resistant TB had plagued communities for decades and continued to be a major health challenge due to its airborne nature and resistance to conventional treatments.

She said that an integrated and strategic response to TB and AMR was critical in preventing the menace.

Earlier in her remarks, Executive Director, Stop TB Partnership, Dr Lucica Ditiu, urged stakeholders to build on each other’s strengths as individual countries to fight TB.

It was reported that the event had in attendance wives of the governors of Kwara state and Imo state, Dr Olufolake Abdulrazaq and Mrs Chioma Uzodimma.

Also present was the Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, and health ministers from other countries.