First Lady reaffirms commitment to fight against Tuberculosis at UNGA

By Kunle Sanni

The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has reiterated her commitment to combating Tuberculosis (TB), emphasizing the urgent need for action against the disease, particularly its growing drug-resistant strains.

Speaking at a side event hosted by the Stop TB Partnership during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, she called for innovative approaches to tackle both TB and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

In a statement released by her spokesperson, Busola Kukoyi, on Wednesday, the First Lady described the TB epidemic as a pressing health crisis in Nigeria, one of the countries most affected by the disease globally.

“TB does not discriminate; it affects men, women, and children, cutting across all social and economic backgrounds, with the poor being the most vulnerable,” she said. She lamented the heavy toll TB continues to take, with 125,000 lives lost annually in Nigeria alone.

As a Global and National Stop TB Champion, Tinubu stressed the need for joint efforts in addressing both TB and AMR, noting that drug-resistant TB is a major threat to global health security.

“Despite substantial progress in the fight against TB, drug-resistant TB remains a significant challenge, and due to its airborne nature, it is now a threat to global health security,” she stated.

The First Lady urged stakeholders to prioritize research and innovation in the fight against TB and AMR, highlighting the importance of raising awareness, educating the public about the dangers of drug-resistant TB, and promoting the appropriate use of antibiotics.

She also called for the development of new tools, treatments, and vaccines to outpace the evolving threat of AMR.

The event, themed Breaking the Resistance: Fighting AMR and TB Together for a Healthy Future, was attended by key figures, including the Wives of the Kwara and Imo State Governors, Olufolake Abdulrazaq and Chioma Uzodimma, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, and ministers from other countries.

Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership, also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the need for collaboration among countries to combat TB and AMR.

“We are struggling, but we are still making a significant impact with amazing results,” she said.