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Remi Tinubu, the First Lady, has called for a renewed commitment, particularly at the state level, to combat tuberculosis disease in Nigeria.
She made this plea while announcing a pledge of N1 billion towards addressing the disease during her investiture as the Global and National Stop TB Champion at the State House Abuja.
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In a statement by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi, the First Lady commended the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in raising awareness, which has resulted in significant improvements in case finding and treatment coverage for tuberculosis.
Acknowledging the collective efforts of stakeholders at national, regional, and global levels following the adoption of the Political Declaration at the United Nations High-Level Meeting in September 2023, Remi Tinubu emphasized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to the fight against tuberculosis and achieving the outlined goals.
She urged state governors’ wives, whom she also decorated as TB Champions for their respective states, to intensify awareness efforts to minimize the impact of the treatable disease.
Remi Tinubu emphasized that the designation as TB Champions carries the responsibility to make a difference and appealed to them to use their influential positions to raise awareness, end stigma associated with tuberculosis, and ensure patients in their states access available treatments and support.
To underscore her commitment to the fight against TB, Remi Tinubu, through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), donated N1 billion to the cause. She dedicated her investiture to Daniel, one of her staff who lost his life to the disease, and others who succumbed silently, urging collective action to end stigma and discrimination.
Earlier, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, highlighted the success achieved in the fight against tuberculosis as a collective effort involving not only the healthcare sector but all Nigerians. He emphasized the need to sustain this effort due to the significant political will demonstrated by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
In her remarks, Dr. Lucica Ditiu, the executive director of Global Stop TB Partnership, Geneva, urged Nigeria to mobilize domestic resources to address the scourge, emphasizing the pivotal role Nigeria plays in Africa and the world in combating tuberculosis.
