Bauchi Detects Over 13,000 TB Cases

In 2024, Bauchi State detected 13,908 and registered 12,092 drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) cases on treatment, as against 9,332 recorded in 2023.

The commissioner for health, Dr Sani Dambam, disclosed this yesterday in Bauchi during the 2025 World TB Day commemoration.

He revealed that with an estimated TB target of 18,696 in 2024, the state achieved a 65% performance in TB Case notification. Out of the 9,069 new TB cases detected and registered for treatment, about 8,989 were successfully treated, achieving a 99.1% Treatment Success Rate (TSR).

Represented by the director of Medical Services, Dr Suleiman Auwal Abubakar, the commissioner said, “With the current commitment of the Bauchi State government, this administration under the leadership of Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad, BACATMA has made significant progress in terms of TB control both at the state and LGA levels.”

He added, “In Bauchi State, there are currently 800 free TB treatment centres, 131 AFB Centres and 18 Gene-Xpert, 12 Truenat and 9 TB Lamp machines, which are the latest machines that are used in the diagnosis of both the drug-sensitive TB bacteria and the Drug-resistant strain of the bacteria that cause Multi-drug 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.”

The commissioner stated that 40 new motorcycles were procured and distributed to 20 LGAs of the state to enable TBL Supervisors and their assistants to monitor the implementation of TB activities in their LGAs.

In addition, five Portable Digital X-ray machines were allocated to the state, and another batch is coming soon. Nine Truenat Molecular Machines were also assigned to the state.

He stressed that “Our united effort is needed to reach those at highest risk for TB and to identify and implement innovative strategies to improve testing and treatment among high-risk populations.”

“At this juncture, I would like to call on all stakeholders: international organisations, civil society organisations, religious and traditional/community leaders, and private sectors to join the drive to roll out this strategy and to reach, treat and cure all those who are ill from TB today,” he stressed.

The commissioner stressed that TB is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs, explaining that it is transmitted from person to person through droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the disease.

He warned that “If not treated, a person with active pulmonary TB disease will infect, on average, between 10 and 15 people every year. Tuberculosis is one of the eight (8) global health Campaigns marked by the World Health Organisation.”

He added that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has set aside the 24th March of every year as World TB Day, stating that,” This is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of nearly 1.5million people each year, mostly in developing countries.”

To him,” Nigeria ranked 6th among the high burden countries and 1st in Africa with a high burden for TB, MDR-TB & TB/HIV. Nigeria is among the ten countries that account for 77% of the global gap in TB case finding and contributes 9% to the worldwide gap between TB incidence and notified cases. Despite being preventable and curable, TB sickens about 10 million people and kills 1.4 million year after year globally.”