As the world observes the 2024 Tuberculosis Day, today, March 24, 2024, in commemoration of Robert Koch's discovery of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, the causative agent of the disease, the Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, IHVN, and Plateau State Labour Party, LP, Governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, Dr. Patrick Sunday Dakum, has sued for collaboration by all and sundry in stamping out the disease.
Speaking on the theme which is a constant used consecutively, "Yes! We can end TB", Dakum said it's achievable if all hands will be on deck by observing the requisite prerequisites which are: providing the right services, support for enabling safe environment in the right place, at the right time and eradicating poverty, inequity, under nutrition, comorbidities, discrimination, and stigmatization of victims instead of extending helping hand.
Dakum whose Institute is a front-liner in finding cases, diagnosing and administering treatment for tuberculosis, said that based on records, tuberculosis killed 1.3 million people worldwide in 2022, making it the second killer infectious disease after covid-19. And that it was estimated in 2022 that 10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) worldwide, where 5.8 million were men, 3.5 million were women and 1.3 million were children; adding that only about 2 in 5 people with drug resistant TB accessed treatment in 2022.
According to him, TB is present in all countries and age groups, but is curable and preventable despite the challenge and threat of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), and all that is required is the cooperation of the citizenry by embarking on routine checkups to ensure safety from the infection.
Dakum who was a former Commissioner of Information and Health in Plateau State, further calls on governments at all levels to intensify more campaign awareness on devastating health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis (TB) and to step up efforts to end the epidemic by sustainable investment of resources in the fight against the disease.
He thanked donor agencies who sustained their support in combating tuberculosis worldwide, and task individuals on personal hygiene, good nutrition, body exercise and routine medical checkups and desisting from tobacco smoking and inhalation of poisonous substances.
Dakum cautions saying, health is wealth, without which inactivity will be the order of the day, resulting to deterioration of progress and prosperity. Hence, all and sundry must take their health seriously to be alive, strong and productive.
He wishes all a pleasant Tuberculosis Day observation.
Signed:
Shabul Mazadu
Media Consultant
24th March, 2024
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