Lagos targets TB elimination by 2030, inaugurates women leaders as ambassadors
In a renewed push to strengthen community-level tuberculosis (TB) response, the Lagos State Government on Monday inaugurated female legislators, newly elected female local government chairmen, wives of members of the House of Assembly, and spouses of council chairmen as TB Champions and Ambassadors, reaffirming its commitment to ending the disease by 2030.
The high-level ceremony, held at the First Lady’s Banquet Hall, Lagos House, Alausa, was led by the First Lady of Lagos State and State TB Champion, Dr. (Mrs.) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu. She said the initiative marked a new phase in mobilising women as frontline advocates for aggressive TB awareness, early testing, stigma reduction, and adherence to treatment across communities.
Dr. Sanwo-Olu disclosed that three of the state’s four female legislators had been secured as TB Champions, alongside seven of the 11 female local government chairmen. In addition, 20 chairmen’s wives and seven wives of House of Assembly members were formally inducted as TB Ambassadors to support the statewide TB response.
Highlighting the urgency of the intervention, the First Lady revealed that over 19,500 TB cases were recorded in Lagos in 2024, with 11,725 patients placed on treatment between January and September 2025. She stressed that TB is both preventable and curable when communities are well informed and actively engaged.
She also acknowledged the support of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and commended the First Lady of Nigeria for mobilising N2 billion towards TB response efforts, noting that coordinated action by the First Ladies of the 36 states would significantly accelerate progress towards the End TB 2030 target.
In his opening remarks, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, described tuberculosis as “one of the most dangerous infections known to man,” warning that its slow progression often delays diagnosis and makes late detection potentially fatal.
Prof. Abayomi expressed concern over the tendency of some patients to abandon treatment once symptoms subside, a practice that contributes to drug-resistant TB. He noted that treatment for drug-resistant TB is costly, can last up to 18 months, and poses serious public health risks, particularly in a megacity with a population exceeding 30 million.
He added that the investiture of female legislators, council chairmen, and chairmen’s wives reflects a strategic shift from hospital-centred TB control to community-driven action, leveraging trusted female leaders to support early case detection and ensure treatment completion.
