Nigeria – First Lady Urges Global Action as 125,000 Nigerians Die from Tuberculosis Annually

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has raised alarm over the tragic toll of tuberculosis (TB), which claims 125,000 lives each year in Nigeria alone.

Speaking at a side event of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Tinubu described the disease as a “relentless public health crisis” and called for urgent international cooperation to tackle the dual threats of TB and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The event, themed ‘Breaking the Resistance: Fighting AMR and TB Together for a Healthy Future’, was organized by the Stop TB Partnership. It focused on the global need to combat both TB and AMR simultaneously, emphasizing that these intertwined public health issues require collective action.

“Nigeria bears one of the highest TB burdens globally, and the loss of 125,000 lives each year is a tragedy we can no longer ignore,” Tinubu stated, urging increased investment in research for new tools, treatments, and vaccines to fight TB and drug resistance.

The First Lady stressed that efforts to eradicate TB in Nigeria must be intensified if the country hopes to achieve its goal of ending the disease by 2030.

She also called on governments, international bodies, and private sector partners to join forces in creating innovative approaches to combat both TB and AMR.

“Addressing TB and AMR together is not just the smart way; it is the only way. Preventing new infections, raising public awareness, and educating people on the dangers of drug-resistant TB are essential,” she added, noting that the airborne nature and drug resistance of TB have long made it a serious challenge for communities worldwide.

The Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership, Dr. Lucica Ditiu, echoed Tinubu’s call for collaboration, urging stakeholders to leverage each other’s strengths in the global fight against TB.

Key attendees at the event included the wives of the governors of Kwara and Imo States, Dr. Olufolake Abdulrazaq and Mrs. Chioma Uzodimma, along with Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, and health ministers from various countries.

The First Lady expressed optimism in the collective effort to fight TB and AMR, underscoring the importance of an integrated, strategic response to prevent further devastation.