The Bauchi State Governor’s Wife, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed has cautioned the public against stigmatisation and discrimination of tuberculosis (TB) patients in the state.
She gave the warning at the opening ceremony of the 2021 World Tuberculosis Day (WTD) commemoration on Monday in Bauchi.
WTD is annually observed on March 24 to build public awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease.
The WTD celebration, was, however, organised by the Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria on Monday, with the support of USAID Breakthrough Action Nigeria.
The governor’s wife, who is the TB Champion in the state stressed the need for care and love for TB patients, not stigmatisation nor discrimination.
She explained that the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, had last year, bestowed on governor’s wives the role of champions for the eradication of the disease in their respective states.
She said their nomination as TB champions were necessary due to the devastating impact of the disease and the renewed efforts to give it a final push.
Mohammed said that the COVID-19 pandemic had put the eradication of TB at risk, hence the need for intensive awareness and efforts to tackle it.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Mohammed Maigoro reiterated the commitment of the state government to ending TB by the year 2030, in line with the Federal Government’s recommendation.
Maigoro said the 2021 World TB Day commemoration with the theme “Clock is ticking” and the slogan “That Cough fit be TB, Check am o!”
make sense for stakeholders to rise to their responsibility and end the dreaded disease.
The commissioner said that there were many undetected infections during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in the nation as those with symptoms avoided tests for fear of being counted as coronavirus patients.
He advised that “anyone who coughs for two weeks or has signs of the disease to rush to the hospital for test”, noting that both the examination and treatment were free
(NAN)
