MESSAGE BY THE FOUNDER, EUNICE SPRING OF LIFE FOUNDATION (ESLF) AND FIRST LADY OF BENUE STATE, HER EXCELLENCY DR. EUNICE ORTOM ON THE OCCASION OF WORLD TUBERCULOSIS DAY 2020.

My warm greetings to the good people of Benue State. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set aside 24th of March to annually mark World Tuberculosis Day (WTD).

Today, the global community commemorates WTD to stop the spread of the number one killer infectious disease with this year’s theme: “IT’S TIME TO END TB IN NIGERIA” and the slogan: “CHECK THAT COUGH, TIME NO DEY!”

The Benue State Government at all levels is not left out on this eventful day to create public awareness on the basic knowledge of TB, its causes, prevention and cure to end TB infection in the State.

As the TB Champion of my beloved State, I feel highly responsible to raise awareness, influence behavioural change and encourage action that would help prevent, stop new infections and provide adequate treatment to eliminate TB in the State.

However, the burden and efforts to stop this infectious disease from affecting our people must be fought by all and won by all to secure the well-being of the entire Benue community and by extension, Nigeria and the World in general. On this note, I elicit your consciences to get involved and committed to stop TB in Benue State because: TB remains a public health problem in Nigeria as our country is ranked 6th on the global map among the high burden countries with TB.

• Nigeria is ranked first in Africa among the high TB burden countries in the Continent.
• Benue State, already a known high HIV-burden-State, also ranks 6th among the 36 States with the high burden of TB in the country.
• Benue State has the highest TB burden in the North Central region of the Country.
• As at 2019, the estimated burden of TB in the State was 13,916 which only 4,417 cases (31.7%) were notified and treated, leaving out 9,499 patients (68.3%) untreated.
• 1,431 (15%) of the missed cases are children below the age of 15.
• These untreated cases remain a threat and source of transmission in the State.

• Each of these untreated cases portends a high risk of transmitting TB to between 10 and 15 persons in 2020, consequently increasing the number of infected persons to 142,485 (121,020• adults and 21,465 children) in the State.
On this day, we must come to term with these facts and continually remind ourselves that:

• Everyone is Vulnerable to TB infection.
• Stigmatization and discrimination fuel the spread of TB infection.
• Untreated TB infection leads to death
• TB can be treated
• TB is curable
• TB can be prevented
• Get Tested
• Get Treated
• Stop the stigmatization
• Let’s END TB
Her Excellency Eunice Ortom Ph.D
TB Champion Benue State.

#WTD2020 #NTC #EndTBinNigeria #CheckThatCough #TimeNoDey #ESLFHealth