… Over 19,000 Lagosians diagnosed in 2024
… LASG commits N3bn to control in 5 years
… Experts urge uptake of TPT as preventive measure
By Chioma Obinna
When 32-year-old Ade started coughing, he assumed it was just seasonal cold. A father of three, he had no time for hospital visits but his priority was putting food on the table. He had no fever and expected that the cough would go away.
For months the cough persisted, and by the time he sought medical help, Ade was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB), that could have been prevented with Tuberculosis Preventive Therapy (TPT).
“I thought it was just an ordinary cough. If I had known about TB and TPT earlier, I wouldn’t have had to go through this,” Ade told Good Health Weekly.
Reflecting on his experience, he added: “I urge anyone with a cough lasting more than two weeks, please get checked before it’s too late. TB is not a curse.”
Ade’s story is common. Amid the chaos of Lagos life, a silent epidemic of TB lurks. Across communities, many people ignore a persistent cough, unaware that it could be a sign of latent or active TB.
Toll of neglected coughs
The 2022 World TB Report shows that over 9.6 million people worldwide fall sick with TB every year. Of these, 5.3 million are men, 3.5 million are women, and 1.3 million are children. In Nigeria, 383,000 cases were recorded in 2023, and Lagos alone accounted for 19,052 diagnoses in 2024.
For Amina, another Lagos resident, the delay in seeking care had tragic consequences. Despite being well-informed about TB and even supporting survivors, she was in denial about her symptoms.
She was always there to encourage others to get tested. Amina’s case isn’t ignorance but a deep-seated fear, a denial that whispers, “It can’t be me.” By the time she accepted the reality, it was too late, her case was dire, she succumbed eventually.
Amina’s story serves as a stark reminder that TB is not just a disease of ignorance or poverty, it can affect anyone.
Why TB persists
TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, yet its prevention is underutilised. Many dismiss a prolonged cough as harmless, failing to realise that TB, an airborne disease, can silently spread through crowded spaces, homes, and workplaces.
Many people think TB only affects the poor or the very sick, but that’s a dangerous myth,” the Secretary of the Stop TB Partnership, Dr. Imeh Okon explained.
“TB is airborne. It does not discriminate. The good news is that it is both preventable and treatable.”
For Dr. Olusola Daniel Sokoya, Programme Manager of the Lagos State Tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer, and Leprosy Control Programme, TB prevention is key.
“TPT is a lifesaving intervention that helps stop TB before it develops. It is particularly crucial for high-risk individuals such as people living with HIV, those in close contact with TB patients, and individuals with weakened immune systems.”
Underutilisation of TPT in Lagos
Despite its effectiveness, TPT uptake in Lagos remains alarmingly low due to stigma, misinformation, and lack of awareness. Many people fear side effects or doubt the necessity of taking medication when they feel healthy.
Sokoya who spoke at a one-day event organised by Journalists Against AIDS, JAAIDs, to mark World TB Day in Lagos stressed that the benefits far outweigh the risks.
He said: “The truth is, taking TPT does not mean you have TB. It’s for prevention. The earlier people understand this, the more lives we can save.”
For every confirmed TB patient, at least four close contacts should ideally receive TPT. Sokoya revealed that Lagos is falling short of this target.
Lamenting that TPT was underutilised in Lagos, he highlighted the critical need to increase TPT uptake in the state.
“For every patient that has TB, if it’s pathologically confirmed, about 75 percent of TB patients are pathologically confirmed. So for every year, we are supposed to put on treatment at least 14,000 x 4 people,” referring to the estimated number of individuals in close contact with diagnosed TB patients.
He emphasised that TPT is not a treatment for active TB, but a preventative measure for those at risk. “Before you give anybody TPT, you screen for TB, you ask for symptoms related to TB.”
Despite the availability of multiple TPT regimens, including a convenient one-month option, uptake remains low.
“We should be placing at least 56,000 people on TPT annually, but we’re not even halfway there. We need to change that. We need to create awareness, and let people understand, that taking TPT does not mean you are TB. It’s for you to prevent it,” he stated.
Government efforts & challenges
He said that Lagos State has invested over N3 billion in TB programmes since 2019, this funding has boosted diagnostic capacity, equipping every local government area with GeneXpert machines and TB-LAM tests for rapid detection. Lagos is leading the fight against TB in Nigeria. No other state has invested this much in TB programmes.
“Only Lagos state and Benue state have reached at least one WHO-recommended diagnostic tool per LGA. But there are challenges. We have a funding gap due to the reduction of donor-supported services. While our drug supply is stable, disruptions in USAID-supported lab services and patient referral systems have created significant operational hurdles.
However, case detection is improving. Before now, 8,000 cases were notified annually but in 2019, 11,000 cases were identified and in 2024, over 19,052 cases were notified.
Yet, experts estimate that Lagos should be detecting at least 50,000 cases annually, meaning thousands remain undiagnosed and untreated.
Sokoya stressed the importance of public awareness and destigmatisation in combating TB, asking: “If your population is not aware of a disease, then how do you want to control that disease?”
He explained that TB is caused by a bacterial infection, not a “generational cause” or “witch hunt,” and is both preventable and curable.
President-elect of the Medical Women’s Association, Dr. Imeh Okon, urged policymakers to take TB as seriously as they did COVID-19. She dismissed the societal tendency to dismiss TB as a disease of the poor.
“We can never play the ostrich approach, it’s in the air. Is there anybody that doesn’t breathe? When COVID-19 struck, governments mobilized massive resources within months. TB has been killing people for centuries—where is the same urgency? She queried.
Stigma & discrimination
The Coordinator of TB People Nigeria, Mrs Kadiri said TB stigma remains one of the biggest barriers to treatment and prevention. Kadiri emphasised the need for survivor-led advocacy.
“Stigma is one of the biggest killers. People hesitate to seek care because they fear discrimination. But when survivors step forward to share their stories, it changes perceptions and saves lives.”
She said TB People works closely with TB survivors to ensure they are present in local TB treatment centres, offering firsthand reassurance to new patients.
“When someone newly diagnosed sees a survivor standing strong and healthy, it gives them hope. We want survivors at the frontlines of TB awareness in every local government.”
She insisted that eradicating TB requires collective action from individuals, communities, and governments. Public education, stigma reduction, and improved access to TPT are all critical.
On her part, the Director of Disease Control, Dr. Victoria Egunjobi called for better utilisation of existing resources.
“We need funding, but we must also ensure that what we have is being fully utilised.
“If a TB screening van enters a community and no one comes out for testing, then we are wasting precious resources.”
Experts say TB is not a death sentence. It is preventable and curable. But the battle cannot be won without early detection, community awareness, and increased TPT uptake. They argued that neglecting a persistent cough isn’t just a personal risk, it’s a danger to public health.
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