The Rivers State Government has revealed that the state has a 96 per cent treatment success rate for tuberculosis, surpassing the World Health Organization’s benchmark.
This was revealed by the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, who also stated that the Federal Ministry of Health has recognised Rivers State as the third leading state in the national effort to eradicate tuberculosis.
Dr Oreh spoke during the commissioning and handover of 46 motorcycles to tuberculosis health supervisors and their assistants for tuberculosis management across the 23 local government areas of the state.
The commissioner emphasised that the provision of motorcycles will enable the tuberculosis supervisors to conduct more effective surveillance in communities, working towards identifying TB patients and achieving a 100 per cent target treatment success rate in the state.
Dr Oreh said: “Tuberculosis is one of those notorious infections which have been ravaging countries across the world, especially low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria.
“In partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme, with immense support from the Global Fund, we are here gathered with these 46 motorcycles, which will be given to the 23 local government areas TB supervisors and their deputies.
“We know that at the forefront of tackling this deadly infectious disease is active community surveillance. These motorcycles will enable the TB supervisors and the deputies to go into the nooks and crannies of our communities to identify those who may be infected and put them on the treatment that they need.
“It may interest you to note that Rivers State has a treatment success rate of 96 per cent which is above the World Health Organisation benchmark. But with these motorcycles, I’m confident that we (Rivers) will get to 100 per cent treatment success.
“As of today, Rivers State has been acknowledged nationally by the Federal Ministry of Health as the number three in states’ efforts to eradicate tuberculosis in the country and we want to render the state free of tuberculosis.”
The commissioner further added: “These motorcycles are to assist them to carry out this work more successfully in our communities and we realised that reaching our communities and other locations can be very hard and that’s why these motorcycles have been provided to assist them to do that work, to find people.
“To find our brothers and our sisters within the communities in the hard-to-reach areas who may be suffering in silence, identify them, get them on treatment and clear them of tuberculosis so that we render Rivers State free of tuberculosis.”
The state Permanent Secretary of Health, Dr Ndidi Chikanele Utchay, advised the TB LGA supervisors, saying, “You know that these motorcycles being handed over to you are not for your personal use; it’s for you to reach out to other areas where it’s hard to reach. That’s why you’re given these motorcycles—to support the work of TB in the state.
“So, please, make sure you handle it like your own and treat it as such. It’s not for private business. Use it and do your work so that the state can have good-quality data because that is what we expect from you.
“When you go to your local government for testing, you should be able to get genuine data from that,” she added.
Speaking on behalf of the tuberculosis supervisors, Edemede Victor, who is the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni TB supervisor, vowed that they would work diligently to eradicate tuberculosis and other tropical diseases in the state.
DAILY POST reports that the initiative was done in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme, global funds, and other partners.
