Nasarawa State records 12,000 cases in 5 years

March 31, 2017 7:35 AM

Danjuma, who spoke at a rally to mark the 2017 World Tuberculosis Day on Thursday in Lafia, said that 800 patients were treated and certified TB-free within the period under review.

About one in five TB cases are resistant to at least one antibiotic, and about five percent are so-called multidrug resistant (MDR-TB) strains

Nasarawa State recorded 12,000 cases of tuberculosis in the last five years, according to Dr. Aboki Danjuma, the State Coordinator, Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Agency.

He explained that the rally was aimed at building public awareness about Tuberculosis and efforts to eradicate it.

Danjuma charged members of the public to always seek proper medical attention whenever they had persistent cough, and advised against close contact with persons suspected to be infected with the disease.

Similarly, Mr Eric Tungkam, from the Family Health Foundation, in his speech, noted that the rally was to educate members of the public on the dangers of TB as a highly contagious disease, and how to prevent its spread.

“This awareness campaign will help people to be cautious in the way they relate with one another,” he said.

In their separate speeches, Alhaji Jibrin Giza, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Dr. Ibrahim Adamu, Director, Public Health and Disease Control, said that the state government was working hard to reduce the burden of TB and leprosy in the state.