Dr Vivian Ibeziaku, Programme Manager, Drug Resistance Tuberculosis (DR-TB), Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), has raised an alarm over increase in Multi-Drug Resistance Tuberculosis (DR-TB) in the country.
Ibeziaku told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja that DR-TB is a public health challenge almost worse than HIV.
She said that it was easier to prevent HIV than DR-TB while noting that DR-TB is the resistant form of TB and there are different drugs for TB and DR-TB treatment.
The expert said that a lot was been done by the institute to improve the intake and diagnosis of TB and that IHVN is currently covering the entire country in terms of TB treatment.
“We are creating awareness, engaging professional bodies and also carrying out sensitisation in health facilities to improve awareness on DR-TB.
“We support laboratory monitoring to detect side effects of TB drugs, we also provide funds to ensure patient investigation is provided and to make sure that side effects are detected early and managed properly.
“We provide transportation and funds to support patients so that they can go to their facilities for treatment, we also provide them with social support,” she said.
However, Ibeziaku said there was the need to improve surveillance and strengthen management of drug sensitive TB to ensure that patients continue treatment to the end.
She also underscored the need to educate patients especially when they are on drug sensitive TB and to ensure that diagnosis facilities were in place so that those that were resistant are identified on time.
“There is need to expand our diagnostic capacity and create more awareness about DR-TB.
“We also need to engage healthcare providers and patent medicine dealers because patients go to them to buy drugs, this will help us identify patients on time,” she said.
She urged people to avoid overcrowding or sleeping in such condition and to visit health centres for check-up if coughing for more than two weeks.
Ibeziaku also called on the government to support tuberculosis treatment in country.