Tuberculosis Cases Rise In A’Ibom

The incidence of tuberculosis is on the rise in Akwa Ibom says the state’s TB Control Programme Coordinator, Dr Valerie Obot.

Obot told newsmen in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom, recently that available data on tuberculosis showed that there were more infections in 2010 than in the previous years. She said that whereas there were 1,910 tuberculosis cases in the state in 2005, the figure stood at 2,426 at the end of 2010.

“As the TB coordinator, I will like to say that every year we see an increasing number of TB cases. Last year that passed, we had 2,426 cases on our records.

“Patients that came to us and we were able to diagnose them and treat, especially with the situation where you have a high HIV prevalence rate like our state; we expect that there will be more TB cases.

“Even if we had 2,426, we have not still reached the target for our case detection. So in the state, we are still looking for cases because it is only when you find these cases that we are able to treat them and we are able to stop the infection.

“But the good news is that in this state, we’ve been able to hold our patients. In other words, we’ve been able to cure our patients.

“The year that passed, we were able to cure 80.9 per cent of our patients who had TB because the drugs we had are good and potent drugs”, she said.

Obot said that though tuberculosis is contagious, its spread could be contained and treated if diagnosed quickly.

The TB coordinator noted that tuberculosis was still a health challenge in the state even as there were treatment centres in all the 31 local government areas where treatment could be obtained free of charge.

She said that there were 39 tuberculosis diagnostic centres in Akwa Ibom, but expressed regret that the distribution was still lopsided.

Obot explained that while some of the council areas were yet to be covered some urban centres had more than one diagnostic centre.