WHO: Africa Records 26% Reduction in Death from Tuberculosis

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja  

The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday said there was a 26 per cent reduction in Tuberculosis (TB) deaths between 2015 and 2021.
It also said Nigeria had significantly increased national TB cases by 50 per cent in 2021, using innovative approaches such as the expansion of the daily observed treatment protocols, use of digital technologies, community active case finding, and enlisting public private mix initiatives.

It also said through technical support, advocacy and effective partnerships, enormous progress had been made over the past decade, especially in the East and Southern African Regions. According to WHO, high-burden countries, like Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia have surpassed or reached the 20 per cent target of reducing new TB cases.

In her message to mark this year’s World TB Day, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Matshdiso Moeti, said significant progress had been made in eradicating TB in Africa.
“WHO in the African Region is now on the threshold of reaching a 35 per cent TB death reduction. There has been a 26 per cent reduction in TB deaths between 2015 and 2021. Seven countries— Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, South Soudan, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia—have reached a 35 per cent reduction in deaths since 2015,” she said.

Speaking on the year’s theme, “Yes, We Can End TB”, Moeti said there was need to ensure equitable access to prevention and care, in line with the country’s drive towards Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Moeti expressed delight that member-states were increasing the uptake of new tools and guidance recommended by WHO, resulting in early access to TB prevention and care and better outcomes.
She explained that the use of rapid diagnostic testing in African countries increased from 34 per cent in 2020, to 43 per cent in 2021, thereby improving the countries’ ability to detect and diagnose new cases of the disease.

“It is particularly important to find and diagnose cases of TB so that the patients can be treated, and their contacts offered preventive medication.
“Nigeria is an example of a country that managed to significantly increase national TB case finding by 50 percent in 2021 using innovative approaches such as the expansion of the daily observed treatment protocols, use of digital technologies, Community Active Case Finding, and enlisting Public Private Mix initiatives,” she said.

Moeti added that TB required concerted action by all sectors: from communities and businesses to governments, civil society and others.
“We must work together to develop innovative approaches to reach vulnerable populations and ensure that they have access to quality TB care and management.
“We commemorate World TB Day yearly on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of this preventable disease and call for accelerated action to end it.

“In 2021, with a clear roadmap, the WHO in the African Region showed that it is possible to reach – and even surpass –the first milestone of the End TB Strategy (20 percent reduction by 2020), with a decline rate of 22 percent in new infections since 2015,” she said.
The WHO scribe however said that there was still a notable gap between the estimated number of new infections and case notifications of TB, adding that over 40 percent of people living with TB did not know of their diagnosis or it was not reported in 2021.

“One million people are living with TB in the region and have not been detected.
“Second, the link between TB and HIV. Approximately 20 percent of people newly diagnosed with TB are also living with HIV infection.
“Third, the multi-drug resistant TB. In the African region, only 26 percent of all people living with multi-drug resistance are receiving the appropriate treatment,” she said.