Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, on Thursday, March 23, 2024, donated N1 billion to support the fight to end the Tuberculosis epidemic in Nigeria by 2030.
Tinubu made the donation in Abuja following her investiture as the global and national Stop TB champion by the Global Stop TB Partnership.
The PUNCH reports that the First Ladies from the 36 states were also conferred Stop TB champions in their various states.
According to the World Health Organisation, TB is a disease caused by a bacterium (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that often affects the lungs.
The disease is spread through the air when people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit. A person needs to inhale only a few germs to become infected.
WHO said a total of 1.3m people died from TB in 2022, including 167,000 people with HIV. Globally, TB is the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19 (above HIV and AIDS).
Nigeria is ranked sixth and first country with a high burden of TB in the world and Africa respectively.
CSpeaking at the event, Tinubu said she accepts the investiture as a call for action in ending TB in the country by 2030.
She said, “Ending TB by 2030 is not impossible with the active support of everyone seated here today. Let me acknowledge the efforts of all stakeholders at the national, regional and global levels towards addressing the TB epidemic.”
She noted that following the 2023 political declaration adoption of the United Nations High-Level Meeting, President Bola Tinubu is fully committed towards to the fight against TB and achieving the goals set forth in the political declaration adoption.
She said, “Nigeria has made remarkable progress in the fight against TB and it is still not relenting in its efforts to eradicate TB completely, even before the target of 2030.
“Nevertheless, I call on the government, legislators, private partners, development partners, civil society organisations, health care professionals, academia, market men and women, communities, religious leaders, traditional leaders, and individuals to intensify their efforts in working towards ending TB by ensuring that everyone has access to quality TB diagnosis and treatment services.
“I congratulate the first ladies who have today become TB champions in their respective states. This designation is not just a title but to use your positions to amplify the awareness on TB and end the stigma associated with TB.
“It is on the note that we at the Renewed Hope Initiative have decided to support the fight to end TB by 2030 with a humble donation of N1bn and we use this opportunity to call on all well meaning Nigerians to assist in this fight.”
