stakeholders in Bauchi have launched a comprehensive awareness campaign on Tuberculosis (TB) urging community and religious leaders to play a crucial role towards the reduction of the disease.
The campaign is out to enlighten citizens on the importance of seeking early medical attention whenever they have for more than two weeks or they exhibit symptoms of TB .
This was an outcome of the USAID SCALE Northern Nexus Tuberculosis Learning event with community leaders, CSOs and members of the Cluster of Civil Society Organizations drawn from Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Katsina , Nasarawa and Plateau States .
Hajiya Binta Adamu, re echoed the important role community members will play by informing, friends, family and neighbors about TB , it’s symptoms , treatment centers and how to prevent the spread of the disease.
” We should embark on home visits and if you meet someone who has been coughing for over two weeks, has fever, or weight loss then the person should be referred to a health facility “.
A representative of TB Network in Bauchi Emmanuel Iliya , highlighted the campaign’s goal of addressing the stigma associated with TB, encouraging individuals to speak out and seek help without fear of discrimination.
Executive Director of LANGA Women Development Initiative, Grace Maikudi underscored the importance of community engagement in the fight to eradicate TB in Bauchi .
She cited successful door-to-door campaigns in congested communities, noting that community leaders’ support has significantly improved TB case finding.
Maikudi called for collaboration with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and healthcare providers, for better health outcomes.
The session aims to support government efforts in eradicating TB, a pressing issue given Northern Nigeria’s significant TB burden