The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced a week-long tuberculosis (TB) screening and awareness campaign across Abuja’s six area councils as part of activities marking World TB Day 2026.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), is being implemented through the Public Health Department’s Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme in collaboration with key health agencies, including the Federal Agency for the Control of Pandemics (FASCP), the FCT Malaria Elimination Programme, and the Health Promotion and Education Division.
The outreach began on Monday, March 23, 2026, at Kwaita Hausawa in Kwali Area Council, where healthcare teams carried out community sensitization, screening, and testing for TB. Similar activities have since been conducted in Gwagwalada Area Council and Sauka Kahuta settlement in Lugbe, within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
Earlier sensitization campaigns had taken place in several locations, including Gwagwalada Market, Kukwaba community in Bwari Area Council, Karshi Muslim Forum Primary School, and Ummu Hanni International School in AMAC.
According to the FCTA, the campaign is designed to boost public awareness on TB symptoms, prevention, and treatment, while addressing stigma and encouraging early diagnosis. Residents have been urged to seek medical attention if they experience persistent symptoms such as prolonged cough, fever, or weight loss.
The campaign, themed “YES! We Can End TB, Led by HSES FCTA, Powered by FCT Communities!”, highlights the importance of community participation, grassroots engagement, and access to free healthcare services in the fight against tuberculosis.
Healthcare workers involved in the exercise are deploying modern diagnostic tools to ensure prompt testing and linking confirmed cases to treatment.
The initiative also underscores Nigeria’s progress in TB control, with treatment coverage rising significantly from 20 percent in 2018 to over 80 percent in recent years.
Authorities have encouraged residents to take full advantage of the exercise, noting that TB screening, testing, and treatment remain free in all government hospitals across the Federal Capital Territory.