First Lady reaffirms Nigeria’s commitment to ending TB by 2030

The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to ending Tuberculosis by 2030 through concrete actions, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi, the first lady spoke as the special guest of honour at the 39th Stop TB Partnership Board Meeting held in Manila, Philippines.

The first lady explained to the gathering of over 180 participants from 47 countries that Nigeria is strengthening its commitment to reduce reliance on donor funding, to build resilient systems to ensure no setback on ending TB by 2030.

According to Mrs Tinubu, who is the Global and National Stop TB Champion, TB remains the biggest infectious killer disease and is a threat for all of us, being airborne.

She said the stainability of TB response cannot depend solely on external assistance but from within the nation through leadership, community engagement and strategic national coordination.

“I am equally pleased to share that, despite the temporary shifts in support from some financing partners, Nigeria’s efforts in the fight against TB have remained strong.

“Through steadfast leadership, community engagement, and strategic national coordination, we have ensured that the number of people diagnosed and treated for TB in 2025 did not increase..

“This stands as a testament to the power of country ownership and to the unwavering commitment of Nigerians who continue to drive this response forward, even in the face of uncertainty.

“Health for all begins in our communities, therefore, coming together for the Stop TB Partnership Board meetings remind us that the fight against tuberculosis is not finished, ” the first lady said.

She emphasised that TB was a threat that has claimed lives saying “it claims close to 1.3 million lives each year.

“In Nigeria, we remain among the eight countries that account for two-thirds of global TB cases, with an estimated 479,000 Nigerians developing TB in 2023 and more than 150,000 deaths recorded.

“These are not numbers, they are mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters whose lives compel us to act with urgency and compassion,” Tinubu said.

She commended the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and its affiliate agencies, the Stop TB Partnership and others for their dedication and transparency in ensuring that all the money mobilised towards expanding access to testing, diagnosis, treatment and integrating TB services into primary healthcare are judiciously utilised.

In his remarks, the Stop TB Partnership Board Chair and Secretary of Health of Philippines Teodoro Herbosa pointed out that TB was more than a health concern but a development challenge for many nations.

“It is critical fight, despite the remarkable progress made but we must be relentless and determined”, she said.

The Executive-Director of Stop TB Partnership, Dr Lucica Ditiu, while giving the board report said that integrating data systems with governments of various country’s is vital to ending TB by 2030.

“In five countries, in the last two months new facility for grants have been deployed and with it, 8,000 were screened, 5,000 were diagnosed and 3,000 enrolled in preventive treatment.”

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate was in attendance at the meeting.

The 38th edition of the Stop TB Partnership Board Meeting was held in Abuja in 2024.

NAN

Source: Punch