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Nasarawa State Government said 35 people in the state had tuberculosis (TB)-related complications in 2024.
Nasarawa State Health Commissioner Dr. Gaza Gwamna disclosed this at a press conference in Rafia on Friday, March 28, to mark World Tuberculosis Day 2025.
He revealed that the state recorded 8,190 tuberculosis cases in 2024, with 21% of patients co-infected with HIV.
“Unfortunately, 35 of them did not survive.
“The prevalence of tuberculosis in 2024 was higher than in 2023, when we recorded 7,275 cases, with 18% of them co-infected with HIV,” he said.
He noted that tuberculosis remains a major health challenge in the state and called for increased efforts to combat its spread.
To address this, the commissioner said the state government and its partners have stepped up their advocacy campaigns and increased the number of treatment centers to ensure that it is more accessible to those with symptoms of tuberculosis.
“As of December 2024, there were 386 directly observed treatments in all 13 local government areas (LGAS) short course (DOTS) treatment centers for easy access,” he said.
He further explained that the state has a drug-resistant tuberculosis (DRTB) treatment center at Ercc Hospital in Alushi, a 10-bed facility built by Agbami Partners as a chest clinic in 2017.
“The center caters to patients with DRTB who experience complications, especially those with adverse drug reactions,” he added.
Gwamna provided a breakdown of TB cases in 2024, listing the following statistics for certain LGAs: Awe, 179 cases; Obi, 350 cases; Wamba, 178 cases; Nassarawa-Eggon, 682 cases; Nassarawa; 1,846 cases and Toto: 143 cases.
