The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Pate has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to eradicating tuberculosis (TB) while acknowledging critical funding gaps and emerging threats such as drug-resistant TB.
Pate, represented by director of port health services at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Nse Akpan spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during the ministerial press briefing commemorating World TB Day 2025. He highlighted the country’s progress in TB control, including the expansion of diagnostic services and increased community engagement.
According to the 2024 WHO Global TB Report, Nigeria accounted for approximately 4.6 per cent of global TB cases, with about 71,000 deaths recorded in 2023. The minister emphasised that undernutrition, HIV, diabetes and lifestyle factors such as smoking continue to drive TB infections, particularly among people aged 15 to 44.
He outlined several interventions that have strengthened Nigeria’s TB response. These include the expansion of TB diagnostic services, with GeneXpert machines increasing from 32 in 2012 to 513 in 2024. The number of TB treatment centers also grew from 12,606 in 2019 to 23,000 in 2024, covering 57 per cent of health facilities nationwide.
The minister also noted the deployment of over 400 AI-powered digital X-ray units across the country, improving TB detection, especially for asymptomatic cases. Additionally, he highlighted the improved sample referral network, which facilitated the transportation of more than 3.8 million TB samples for testing in 2024, up from 2 million in 2023.
Public-private partnerships have played a key role, with TB services now expanded to 4,000 private health facilities, contributing 34% of TB case notifications. The launch of the “Gen-Z Against TB Movement” has also mobilised young Nigerians to spread awareness about TB prevention and treatment.
Despite these advancements, Pate warned that financial constraints threaten to undermine progress, particularly following the recent withdrawal of USAID funding, which previously supported nearly 50 per cent of TB case detection efforts. In response, the government secured a $50 million TB bond, with the private sector contributing half of the funds.
Another major concern is the low enrollment in drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) treatment. Of the estimated 9,400 DR-TB cases recorded in 2024, only 3,500 patients received treatment. To address this, the government is conducting a nationwide DR-TB survey and expanding treatment services at the local government and community levels.
Pate stressed the need for enhanced community TB screening, increased childhood TB detection and greater domestic investment in TB programmes. He urged stakeholders, including the media, to amplify awareness campaigns with key messages such as “TB is preventable and curable” and “TB treatment is free in designated facilities nationwide.”
The WHO representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s fight against TB. Represented by WHO team lead for communicable and non-communicable diseases, Dr. Mya Ngon, Mulombo highlighted the global and national burden of TB, noting that Nigeria accounts for over 5 per cent of global TB cases, with an estimated 499,000 cases annually.
He commended Nigeria’s progress in TB control, particularly the 300 per cent increase in TB case notifications, which rose from 138,583 in 2020 to 418,198 in 2024. This has significantly reduced the TB detection gap from 73 per cent in 2019 to 17 per cent in 2024. However, he cautioned that over 80,000 undetected cases continue to fuel community transmission.
Mulombo praised key initiatives such as the launch of the Multisectoral Accountability Framework, which tracks TB response progress and the Private Sector TB Strategy, which mobilizes domestic resources for TB control. He also highlighted infrastructure development in primary healthcare under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Initiative.
Despite these achievements, he raised concerns about funding challenges following the withdrawal of USAID support, emphasising the need for dedicated domestic funding to sustain TB efforts. He also noted that 71 per cent of TB patients suffer catastrophic costs, pushing them further into poverty.
Mulombo pledged WHO’s continued technical and financial support, including capacity-building initiatives for frontline health workers. He called on all stakeholders, including the press and the public, to unite under the 2025 World TB Day theme: “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,” with the Nigerian slogan “We fit do am.”
As Nigeria works toward its goal of ending TB by 2030, Pate reiterated the need for collective action and urged stronger partnerships between government agencies, private organisations, and civil society.
Senior communications manager at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Ms. Uzoma Nwofor underscored the urgency of addressing TB as a major public health challenge in Nigeria. She noted that the country ranks sixth globally and first in Africa among high-TB burden countries.
Nwofor emphasised IHVN’s contributions to TB control, including expanding diagnostic services and engaging private healthcare providers. Through Global Fund support, IHVN has optimised more than 400 GeneXpert sites, deployed AI-enabled digital X-rays and tested over 3.5 million people, leading to the detection of 350,000 TB cases.
She highlighted the impact of the Public-Private Mix (PPM) strategy, which has integrated over 15,000 medicine vendors, 1,000 pharmacies, and 4,000 private hospitals into TB care. As a result, 40 per cent of TB cases in IHVN-supported states now come from private providers.
Community-based interventions, including TB/HIV screening for pregnant women, have also expanded, improving early TB detection and treatment.
However, Nwofor warned that declining global funding poses a major threat to TB control efforts. She called for increased domestic investment in TB programmes, stressing that sustainable financing is critical to ensuring that Nigeria meets its 2030 TB elimination targets.
On World TB Day 2025, she urged all stakeholders to commit to strengthening TB response efforts and to ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against the disease.
As Nigeria continues its battle against TB, experts agree that addressing financial constraints, expanding access to treatment, and strengthening community engagement will be crucial in eliminating the disease. With renewed commitments from the government, international partners and civil society, the country remains optimistic that it can overcome the challenges ahead and achieve its goal of a TB-free nation.
