Taoreed Abdullahi
The wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has urged Nigerians to get tested for tuberculosis, TB and to know their TB status.
She made this statement during the 2025 World TB Day Community Outreach event held at Sauka Village on Airport Road, Abuja.
Senator Tinubu emphasized that ending TB by 2030 is a collective responsibility that involves the government, traditional and religious leaders, legislators, youth, healthcare workers, private sector organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), and international partners.
She stated, “The statistics from the World Health Organization’s 2024 Global TB Report are alarming. In Nigeria, one person dies of TB every seven minutes. This means that during the time we spend at this event, many more lives will be lost if we do not act swiftly and decisively.”
Senator Tinubu highlighted that the high prevalence of TB in Nigeria is unacceptable and that a combined effort is necessary to combat this treatable and curable airborne disease.
At this juncture, she pledged an additional One Billion Naira from the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to support the fight against tuberculosis in Nigeria.
As the Global and National Stop TB Champion, she reaffirmed her commitment to tackling the TB crisis in our nation. She stated that she would continue to advocate for increased funding and policy reforms aimed at strengthening TB control efforts, as well as mobilizing resources and partnerships to support TB awareness and treatment programs. She also committed to amplifying the voices of TB survivors in the fight against stigma and discrimination and to ensuring that women, children, and marginalized groups have equal access to TB care.
The First Lady noted that the government had prioritized the expansion of TB testing and treatment centers across Nigeria to ensure that TB treatment remains free and accessible to all. This includes strengthening community-based healthcare systems to reach the most vulnerable populations and enhancing funding and partnerships to scale up TB control programmes.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, remarked that eradicating TB in Nigeria by 2030 is achievable, especially since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has tasked the Ministry with improving the health and well-being of Nigerians.
In response to the request from the Sapeyi of Garki, Alhaji Dr. Usman Nga Kupi, for a Primary Health Centre in the Sauka Community, the First Lady assured them that it would be addressed as she had a brief discussion with the Minister about the matter.
The event included a health talk on the causes, symptoms, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tuberculosis, as well as testing for the disease.
The theme for the 2025 event was “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, and Deliver,” with the local slogan “We Fit Do Am.”