The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Wednesday flag-off National Integrated Childhood TB/HIV Testing Week, with a renewed commitment to closing the childhood tuberculosis (TB) detection and treatment gap.
Speaking at the event held at Kuchingoro Primary Health Centre, Abuja, the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, stressed that childhood TB remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, HSES, Babagana Adam, Dr. Fasawe said the aim is to ensure early diagnosis and timely treatment.
The Mandate Secretary said the testing week, mandated by the National TB and Leprosy Control Program (NTBLCP), will run from September 22–28, 2025, across all six Area Councils of the FCT.
On his part, the Acting Director, Public Health Department, HSES, FCTA, Dr. Dan Gadzama explained that tuberculosis is not limited to adults alone but also affects children and animals, adding that it can be transmitted from humans to animals and vice versa.
According to him, children remain particularly vulnerable, and unfortunately, childhood TB cases are highly underrepresented in national health statistics.
Dr Gadzama revealed that despite the 2023 report of 58,000 childhood TB cases in Nigeria, a large number still go undiagnosed, untreated, and unreported, leaving many children at risk.
Emphasizing the urgent need to close the detection gap in childhood TB, the Director said the choice of Kuchingoro as the flag-off site was deliberate, reflecting FCTA’s commitment to far-reaching communities with high disease burdens.
He charged caregivers, parents, and community leaders to encourage testing, ensure treatment adherence, and help dispel myths about TB and HIV.
Dr. Gadzama also emphasised that treatment is free across all FCT Healthcare Centres, urging residents to report to the authorities if they are charged for treatment.
Abuja Times reports that the Programme Manager, FCT Tuberculosis Control Programme, Dr Garba Abdulazeez and the Coordinator, National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), Kemi Ayodele were present at the flag off ceremony.
The partners present include the World Health Organisation (WHO), Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), and the Association for Family Health (AFH), among others.