How We’re Fighting Tuberculosis In Bauchi – Commissioner

Bauchi State government has narrated various measures it had taken to curb the spread of tuberculosis. The state government said despite its efforts, 9,332 drug susceptible tuberculosis (TB) cases were still recorded in 2023.
LEADERSHIP reports that Bauchi had about 16,092 TB target for the year ending 2023 but could only achieve about 57 percent.
The state commissioner for health, Dr Adamu Sambo, disclosed this during the 2024 World Tuberculosis Press Briefing organised with support from USAID and Breakthrough Action Nigeria in Bauchi.
“It is gratifying to inform you that in 2023 Bauchi State detected and notified 9,332 Drug Susceptible TB Cases as against 7,806 in 2022.

“With an estimated TB target of 16, 092 in 2023, the state had achieved a 57.9% performance in TB Case Notification. And out of the 7, 730 new TB cases detected and registered for treatment in 2022, about 7, 435 were successfully treated thereby achieving a 96 percent treatment success rate (TSR) at the end of 2023,” he said.
The commissioner who was represented by director of medical services, Dr Suleimanu Abubakar said Bauchi currently operates 794 free TB treatment centres, 127 TB diagnostic centres and 16 GeneXpert, three Truenat and eight TB lamp machines which are the latest machines that diagnose both the drug sensitive TB bacteria and the drug-resistant strain of the bacteria that cause multidrug resistant (MDR-TB) form of TB.

“It is interesting to note that all the 20 LGAs in Bauchi State have at least one of the latest machines for Molecular Diagnosis of TB,” he added.