-Caveat Lector- Poverty Blamed for Rising TB Cases in Nigeria Africa News Service 23-MAR-99 LAGOS, Nigeria (PANA, 03/23/99) - Peter Ajayi is a middle-aged emaciated man, who lives on alms begging in Lagos. He attracts attention to himself with a cardboard he wears round his neck. It bears the folowing words: "I am a TB (tuberculosis) patient. Please help me with money so that I can purchase my prescribed drugs." It is doubtful if he gets any help from people. This is probably because he begs at bus stops, where most of the people hardly have enough for themselves. Another reason could be that it is unwise to get too close to a tuberculosis patient for fear of contracting the dreaded air- borne disease. But Ajayi is just one of the over 100,000 people who suffer from TB in Nigeria, according to the federal ministry of health. As Nigerian joins the rest of humanity in marking the World TB Day Wednesday, health officials here say the disease is fast becoming a serious problem in the country of more than 104 million people. In a recent study, the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) found that besides the number of TB cases rising, the disease was "now the leading killer of people infected with the AIDS virus." Oni Idigbe, a researcher with NIMR, attributed the increase to the prevailing poor economic conditions in Nigeria, which he says has resulted in the majority of the populace not having enough or even the right type of food to eat. Consequently, he continued, "many have become malnourished." Other factors blamed for the high incidence of the cases in the country are poor hygiene and overcrowding. According to Idigbe, the majority of the TB patients in Nigeria were aged between 20 and 49. A former health minister, Ikechukwu Madubuike said that TB was already a major public health problem, even if only an insignificant fraction of the sufferers come forward to receive treatment "owing to the social stigma associated with the disease." But the federal health ministry has launched a campaign to encourage TB sufferers not to shy away from treatment. The message being sent out is that the disease can be cured provided treatment is started early, taken regularly and sustained for the correct length of time. Above all, the ministry stresses that the treatment is free at all TB clinics in the country. These clinics use "DOTS" (Directly Observed Treatment Short course) considered the most effective strategy available for controlling TB. Recommended by the World Health Organisation, DOTS does not only involve direct observation of treatment, but also requires microscopy services, reliable drug supply and monitoring systems as well as politiical commitment. In the last three years, over 60,000 patients have been treated under DOTS in Nigeria, according to official figures. Records from the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme show that some foreign agencies have been assisting the ministry in control efforts because of the huge cost of running clinics for the two diseases. These include the German Leprosy Relief Assciation which is active in 14 of Nigeria's Southern States including Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Ekiti, Imo, Rivers, Ogun and Ondo. Other assisting agencies are the Damien Foundation of Belgium, currently working in Oyo and Osun States, west of the country, while the Netherlands Leprosy Relief is helping in containing TB in Bauchi, Gombe and Kaduna in the North. As a result of the assistance from these foreign agencies, the health ministry has been able to establish TB treatment facilities in about 300 of the 776 local government areas in the country. Some 100 mocroscopy centres for carrying out TB tests as well as 350 treatment centres have also been set up across the country. But experts say the cooperation of all concerned, including the health authorities, the patients themselves, the assisting agencies, as well as the public at large and poverty alleviation mechnisms remains a vital element in the treatment and control of TB. By Chike Okocha, PANA Correspondent ================================= Robert F. Tatman [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Remove "nospam" from the address to reply. NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml POSTING THIS MESSAGE TO THE INTERNET DOES NOT IMPLY PERMISSION TO SEND UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL E-MAIL (SPAM) TO THIS OR ANY OTHER INTERNET ADDRESS. 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