Lagos State is planning to build an Infectious Disease Research Institute, to prepare for the next pandemic and curtail the spread of Tuberculosis (TB),
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking at a dinner organized by Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, as part of the High-Level Mission on Domestic Resource Mobilisation to end TB in the country, revealed that TB is the 13th leading cause of death globally.
According to him, the essence of governance is to make life better for the citizens.
He said: “We have increased our budget for health generally because of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), so we will increase our budget for TB.
“Nigeria is the 6th in the world on issues around TB. We are also going to build our own Infectious Disease Research Institute, a world-class institute, so that when another pandemic occurs, Lagos will be ready.
“We are making an additional commitment. We need to increase our engagement with the private sector. Government cannot do it alone. Everybody must be involved. We need collaboration and cooperation. We will be converting COVID-19 infectious hospital to a TB patient hospital, where we will take care of patients.”
Mrs. Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director, Stop TB Partnership Geneva, disclosed that TB kills 18 people every hour in Nigeria, more than HIV or malaria, but very few people pay attention to it.
She noted: “It is spread through the air and can infect anybody. There is no shame or fear to being diagnosed with TB because it is curable.”
The organization is also trying to engage the private sector because they are great partners in the fight against TB. “People affected by TB are in the workforce, so there is a big impact in business.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was also named Africa’s Tuberculosis Eradication Champion because of his interest in the fight against TB.
