The KNCV TB Foundation has unveiled a Tuberculosis Mobile Unit in Kano State, to enhance detection and treatment of the disease at the grassroots.
Dr Odume Bethrand, Executive Director, KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation Nigeria, stated this on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Wellness on Wheel (WoW) Community TB Testing, on Thursday, in Kano.
Bethrand, who is also the Chief of Party USAID TB LON Regions 1 & 2 Project, said the gesture was part of activities to commemorate the World TB Day marked on March 24.
He said the foundation had scaled up awareness creation activities on the devastating health, social and economic impact of tuberculosis, as well as renewed its commitment to ensure the total eradication of the disease.
He noted that Nigeria was one of the countries with the highest burden of TB, ranking first in Africa and sixth globally.
“Kano State also ranks among the highest TB burdened states in Nigeria, the state with over 20 million population and high burden of TB comes high in priority for TB control.
“The KNCV Nigeria is a leading partner working with the Kano State TB programme and currently implementing the USAID funded TB LON project; a 5-year project supporting comprehensive TB treatment and care, in 14 states of Nigeria.
“KNCV is not a new name in Kano as we have established our presence through technical support to the state TB programme since 2013.
“The Foundation, with USAID funding, has committed to fast-track key TB control interventions in Kano State in accordance with the theme of this year’s World TB Day – “The Clock is Ticking,” Bethrand said.
According to him, the TB LON project was designed to support the state in ensuring that neglected segments of the population had access to TB services.
He said the Foundation was keen on finding the missing TB cases in public and private facilities, as well as the informal health sector, and hard to reach communities.
The director further revealed that the foundation had recorded successes in the implementation of its TB intervention in 134 facilities, across 39 local government areas of the state.
“We are offering routine screening for TB, including diagnosis and treatment.
“We have also deployed a one-of-a kind mobile diagnostic unit, called the Wellness on Wheels (WoW) truck, for active TB case search in hard-to-reach communities across the 44 local government areas of the state,” he said.
Bethrand commended Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje for his commitment to quality healthcare delivery in the state.
Earlier, Ganduje lauded the KNCV for its support to the fight against TB in the state, saying that the state would partner with development organisations to enhance quality healthcare service delivery in the state.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to provide free TB treatment, just as statistics from the state Ministry of Health were showing that the state detected 32,376 TB cases and 25,000 missing cases in 2019.
The state also expanded the scope of TB treatment centres to 1,145, deployed 252 TB AFB Microscopic Centres and 11 Gene Expert Machines.