Throughout the first half of 2023, the National Tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer, and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) recorded 2,000 positive tuberculosis cases in Plateau.
During the start of national tuberculosis testing week in Jos, Shedrack Dimang, the zonal medical officer overseeing the NTBLCP in the North-Central region, shared this information on Monday.
Mr Dimang said the positive cases were undetected from hospitals and outreaches conducted in the state.
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He added that the week-long testing was to create awareness about tuberculosis and administer preventive treatment to those vulnerable to the disease.
“The rise in case detection is as a result of an increase in public awareness and the public doing away with misconceptions as regards the disease,” he said.
Mr Dimang noted that during the testing week, those detected would be promptly placed on treatment as there would be prompt notification of persons who tested positive.
Similarly, Plateau’s Commissioner for Health, Cletus Shurkuk, said the essence of the week was to create a massive awareness of TB via community outreaches, as the week-long test would be held in the 17 local government areas.
Mr Shurkuk, represented by the ministry’s director of medical services, Audu Samuel, lamented that TB, a preventable and curable disease, had led to death and disabilities of persons in the state.
He called on people presenting symptoms such as weight loss and cough, which had exceeded two weeks, to avail themselves of the free testing and treatment at designated medical outreach centres in their respective areas.
