MATTER OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
A CALL ON THE KOGI STATE GOVERNMENT TO HELP IN TACKLING THE INCREASING SPREAD OF TUBERCULOSIS IN KOGI STATE
The Rt. Hon. Speaker, distinguished honourable colleagues, the fear is palpable and heightening because the disease, tuberculosis is real in the State and in particular, in the eastern part of the State.
TB anywhere is TB everywhere!!!
Whereas, tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic bacterial disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), an infectious disease transmitted by inhaling or ingesting the aerobic bacteria called bacilli, spread from person to person through droplets particularly when infected people cough, sneeze, sing or speak. The infection is manifested in fever and small lesions (usually in the lungs but in various other parts of the body in acute stages). It affects individuals of all age brackets. It is deadly but curable.
Whereas, in Kogi State, FOUR Local Government Areas have been identified as having high level of tuberculosis outbreak. Data have shown a sharp rise in the prevalence of the disease in Ankpa, Dekina, Olamoboro and Ofu all located in the Eastern Senatorial District of the State. What is, however, worrisome is the increase in the prevalence of Multi-Drug Resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Ankpa LGA, especially, is the hardest hit with no fewer than 4 new cases of drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) detected quarterly. This is emphatically stating that in every month, someone is infected with DR-TB in Ankpa LGA.
Concerned by the available statistics ranking Nigeria as the first in Africa and fourth amongst the 22 high TB burdened countries in the World, and further disturbed by no fewer than 460,000 reported cases of TB annually in Nigeria and the estimated infectious rate of 616 out of every 100,000 Nigerians coming down with the disease; I rise to call on the State Government for intervention. The disease, if urgent measures are not taken, will take a different dimension for the worse considering the fact that for every one untreated infected person, 10-15 more people will be infected because less than estimated 25% of Nigerians have the required knowledge about the disease.The Rt. Hon. Speaker, distinguished honourable colleagues, the required intervention on the part of the State Government is to provide counterpart funding premised on the sustainability of the interventionist programmes to ensure the responsibility of preventing the spread and treatment of the disease. The fund is usually domiciled in the budget of the State Ministry of Health. Available records, however, show that the funds have not been coming except once between 2015 and 2019, and that was year 2017.
PRAYERS:
From the foregoing, therefore, I am obliged to crave the indulgence of this honourable House to resolve as follows:
That an appeal be made urging the State Government to increase its intervention programme on the spread and treatment of tuberculosis by ensuring that counterpart funds required on the part of the State Government for the purpose of sustainability and responsibility of preventing the spread and treatment of the disease are regularly released.
That further appeal be made urging the State Government to expand the Direct Observatory Treatment (DOT’s Centres) for short courses in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis.
That a request for the provision of project vehicle be made by this august House appealing to the State Government to grant the project vehicle with a view to facilitating field work on tuberculosis control.
That appeal be also made to the State Ministry of Health to increase public sensitization and awareness on the dangers of the TB.
That appeal be further made to the State Ministry of Health urging same to train more health workers in the prevention, treatment and control of tuberculosis in the State.
Hon. (Prince) Musa Attai Hilarion Collins, FIMC
Member Representing Omala State Constituency.