The Tuberculosis Control Programme in Benue State, North-central Nigeria on Friday said no fewer than 1,218 children below the age of 15 have been diagnosed with the disease
The state Chairman, Control Research Forum of Tuberculosis, Igbagbul Agela, made this known in Makurdi at an event to mark the end of Sustainable Mechanism for Improving Livelihood and Household Empowerment (SMILE) project in the state.
Mr. Agela explained that the figure covered between the years 2015 to January 2018.
While giving a breakdown, he said 49 children were diagnosed with the disease in 2015, while in 2016, a total of 166 children were detected and about 581 others in 2017.
However, in January 2018 alone, the number of infected children jumped to 422 bringing the figure to a total of 1,218 cases.
“Tuberculosis (TB) is common in Nigeria not just in Benue state. Nationally, we had expected 56,000 children with TB across the country but we got 5000 of them,” said Mr. Agela.
“In 2017, we had estimated 2305 in Benue State and with all the partners working together including SMILE, we only detected 581 cases and SMILE alone contributed to detecting 421 out of the total number.
“Early this year, in one month alone, they (SMILE) picked out 422 children with tuberculosis and that’s just a tip of the iceberg,” he said.
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The chairman noted that the feat was achieved through the efficient mechanism deployed by SMILE.
He said SMILE combed houses and schools in rural communities in 17 out of 23 local government areas where they worked to find the victims, escorted them to health facilities for further diagnosis and free treatment.
Mr. Agela, however, urged stakeholders and governments at all levels to build on the structures left behind by the organisation so that the global target of ending tuberculosis by the year 2035 can be achieved.
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He also appealed to SMILE to return to Benue soon so that the project can be implemented in the 23 council areas of the state, adding that cases abound in the areas not covered by the project.
Earlier, SMILE’s Chief of Party, Emeka Anoje said the project successfully provided a mix of need-based and age-appropriate services to 218,465 orphans and vulnerable children, (OVC) and 67,573 households between 2013 to 2018.
