The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has a staggering annual tuberculosis (TB) case load of approximately 16,000. This is according to Dan Gasama, the director of public health at the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat. The good news is that the treatment success rate in the FCT has reached an impressive 94 per cent.

The FCT has been working closely with various partners, including the Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme, and the World Health Organisation, to combat TB. These efforts have led to a significant reduction in TB mortality, with a 64 per cent drop over the years.

Globally, TB remains a major public health concern, with an estimated 10.7 million people falling ill with the disease and 1.23 million deaths recorded in 2025. In Nigeria, the prevalence of TB is 219 per 100,000 population, making it one of the high TB burden countries. The FCT's annual case load is a significant portion of this total.

Early detection and proper treatment have been key to the FCT's success in combating TB. The FCT Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme has made significant progress in 2025, identifying over 40,171 presumptive cases and confirming and notifying 3,679 cases. Hundreds of residents in the Mabushi community benefited from free screening for TB, malaria, and other ailments during the recent World Tuberculosis Day celebrations.

💡 NaijaBuzz Take

The FCT's efforts to combat TB are commendable, but more needs to be done to address the disease's prevalence. The 16,000 annual cases in the FCT are a stark reminder of the need for sustained investment and collaboration in the fight against TB. The World Health Organisation's commitment to ending TB is welcome, but it will require a strong multisectoral response that leaves no one behind. The FCT's success in reducing TB mortality is a testament to the power of community-centred care and early detection. However, the fact that Nigeria remains among high TB burden countries is a cause for concern, and the government must do more to address this issue.