By By Asoro Abubakri Olatunji
I am writing for the second time since the outbreak of Covid 19 on the need to invest in the fight against tuberculosis. To me, it nearly seems that the resources to fight TB is unavailable and would be nearly impossible to end the scourge but the Covid-19 pandemic has proven beyond reasonable doubts that the inability to end the infection is not of lack of resources but lack of will, more importantly, political will.
As much as the UN laws frown against discrimination in all forms, there is no gainsaying that the “lack of will” to end TB in itself could be a form of discrimination against the poor. Statistics have shown that despite being an airborne infectious disease which makes everyone vulnerable, tuberculosis is likely to spread more among low income earners — just another reason why poverty makes people vulnerable to untimely death.
Statistics shows that 9,900,000 fell ill of TB in 2020. 1,500,000 died of TB in the same year. Also, hundred billion US dollars has been spent in vaccine development for Covid-19 while just 117 million dollars has so far been spent on TB. While 1,813,188 COVID-19 deaths were reported in 2020, a total of 1.5 million people died from TB in 2020 (including 214 000 people with HIV), according to WHO. Globally, TB is the 13th leading cause of death and the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19 (above HIV/AIDS).
In 2020, the 30 high TB burden countries accounted for 86% of new TB cases. Eight countries account for two thirds of the total, with India leading the count, followed by China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa and then Nigeria.
According to TBFact.org, an estimated 115,000 HIV negative people die from TB in Nigeria each year and an estimated 39,000 HIV positive people also die. According to NCDC, the total number of Covid-19 deaths in Nigeria as at 23rd March 2022 is 3,142. From the foregoing, it may not be out of place to say that TB kills in Nigeria than Covid-19.
I was one of the 10 million people who fell ill with TB in 2018 and could have been one of 1.5 million deaths recorded that year if not for grace. It makes my heart bitter to see children and adults alike falling ill, people losing their means of livelihood, family and the recurrent deaths that occur for untimely medical attention and ignorance in many cases. Because of the limited awareness, our people will rather attribute their sudden loss of weight, uncontrollable coughs, sweat at night and lose of appetite to a spell. In many cases, spiritual leaders and herbalists step into the shoes of medical practitioners. To many who aren’t aware of this disease, nothing can threaten death than a spiritual attack.
TB deserves to be declared a public health emergency in Nigeria with much resources set aside to fight the scourge. Public awareness must be on the increase just like Covid-19, while TB patients should also be given financial assistance to aid their recuperation. Corporate bodies should rather invest in the #endTB fight as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility instead of disengaging their staff members who fall ill. Stigma kills than the disease itself.
The time is now to invest to the #endTB fight. I am sure that the grave is fed up with being fed with deaths occurring from TB.
Asoro is a Youth Leader, endTB Advocate, SDGs Change Agent and Lawyer. He writes from Lagos.
