Health
TITILAYO Goncalves, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, has commended the Corporate Sector on Mobilising Domestic Resources to end TB in Nigeria for their resolve to mobilise resources to end tuberculosis in Lagos State.
Goncalves, who also represented Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, said: “We need to take deliberate steps to reduce the spread of tuberculosis to help reduce putting the healthy population at risk.
“l commend Stop TB Partnership for their commitment in the goal of ending TB and specifically for its unrelenting involvement in the control and management of TB in Nigeria.
“In Lagos State, we are doing everything possible to stem the tide of the deadly and infectious disease.
“As a state, ranking highest in the number of TB patients in Nigeria, there is a need for drastic and urgent action to check the spread otherwise, our 22 million population may become fertile ground for the pandemic.”
According to her, the Lagos State Government has been making efforts toward curtailing the spread of TB.
“Toward this goal, we have developed strategies for the control, detection and treatment of TB in Lagos State.
“They include intensifying case finding in public facilities, intensifying case findings in primary facilities, active case finding among TB contacts, Gene Xpert optimisation and enhancing community awareness on TB.
“Within 16 years, the number of TB treatment centres in Lagos State has increased from six to over 1,008.
“We, however, need to step up our efforts as these facilities are inadequate, given the rate of population growth to stem TB spread in the state,” she said.
Goncalves identified the urgent need for strategy in partnership with the private sector to put an end to the dreaded TB which was estimated to reach an outbreak of four million cases by 2020.
She appealed to business leaders, corporate, financial and oil and gas organisations to partner with Lagos State Government, stakeholders and relevant organisations like StopTB partners in Nigeria to mobilise the needed resources toward ending the scourge of TB.
Making remarks on behalf of Agbami Partners, Ms Mitchelle Obatoyinbo, General Manager, Deep water Operations (a Chevron Company), said the parties align with the national strategy for health system strengthening through the strategy of achieving early case finding and proper case management of TB.
Obatoyinbo pledged the parties’ support for actions to address TB in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that climax of the event was the investiture of Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Wife of Gov. Sanwo-Olu as the TB Champion for Lagos State.
Dignitaries at the event included Sunday Ehindero, a former Inspector-General of Police; teams from the Federal Ministry of Health, Chevron and Agbami Partners, Global Stop TB partnership, World Health Organisation, USAID and Health Policy Plus.(NAN)
– July 15, 2019 @ 13:07 GMT |
Tags: Lagos has highest burden of TB in Nigeria – Stakeholders
