FCTA Launches TB Awareness Campaign

By: Prudence Okonna

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has launched the World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2025 Community Outreach in Jabi Village, with a commitment to eradicating TB through early detection, free treatment, and grassroots engagement.

Speaking at the flag-off event, the Acting Director of the Public Health Department, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Dan Gadzama, said that ending TB requires a community-driven approach rather than relying solely on hospital-based interventions.

Gadzama highlighted that TB remains a significant public health challenge, particularly due to its coexistence with HIV, which increases susceptibility to the disease.

He noted that Nigeria ranks sixth globally in TB burden and first in Africa; underscoring the urgent need for early detection and treatment.

The Director stated that the outreach will extend to five additional communities, ensuring that anyone diagnosed with TB receives free treatment at designated health facilities.

As part of this initiative, AI-powered portable digital X-rays will be deployed to provide instant results at no cost to residents.

“The AI-powered portable digital X-rays will provide free chest X-rays, ensuring faster diagnosis. You do not need transport money or long waiting times. Within one minute, the result is ready with an interpretation,” he stated.

Gadzama noted that sputum samples would be collected for follow-up tests and treatment.

The Head of Disease Control at the Public Health Department, HSES-FCT, Dr. Ngozi Ebisike, underscored the urgency of community-based TB interventions.

She reiterated Nigeria’s high TB burden, stating that although the FCT recorded an estimated 15,000 TB cases last year, over 10,000 cases went undetected due to a lack of awareness and limited healthcare access.

“To bridge this gap, the FCT Administration, in collaboration with its partners, is bringing TB screening and treatment directly to high-burden communities, such as Jabi, selected based on epidemiological data,” Dr. Ebisike said.

She stressed the importance of early detection; noting, “one person with active TB can infect 10 to 15 others, making timely diagnosis critical.”

Ebisike noted that as part of the six-community outreach, health teams will visit Sauka, Kwali, Gwagwalada, and Kuje.

She said that another team is currently conducting screenings at Kuje Prison.

The Head of Disease Control reiterated that diagnosed individuals will be referred to one of the more than 500 TB service centers across the FCT as the outreach aims to alleviate the financial burden on affected families by ensuring free, life-saving TB treatment in underserved areas.

The FCT Programme Manager for Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme, Dr. Garba Abdulazeez, emphasized the need for sustained commitment, investment, and action in tackling TB, particularly in the light of the recent withdrawal of U.S. funding.