TB prevalence in Nigeria 'higher than estimated'

The first national tuberculosis (TB) prevalence survey conducted in Nigeria has shown that TB prevalence is higher than estimated by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

According to the report of first National TB prevalence survey 2012, which was released on Tuesday, the estimates relied upon initially are not as accurate as the reality of the disease in Nigeria.

“Estimates of the burden of TB in the country relied on indirect assessment by the World Health Organisation (WHO) based on existing TB surveillance data,” the report read.

“The accuracy of such estimates largely depends on the quality of the routine surveillance information, which in itself is affected by the completeness of TB notification and instances of TB under-diagnosis.”

The survey, which was concluded in November 2012 by the national TB & leprosy control programme, aimed to determine the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis among the general population aged 15 years and above in Nigeria.

The survey started in 2008 with the aim of detecting at least 70 per cent of the estimated smear-positive TB cases, achieve at least an 85 per cent cure rate of the smear-positives, halve by 2015 the prevalence and mortality due to TB relative to 1990 levels, and eliminate TB as a public health problem by 2050.

The study said the TB burden in Nigeria was further compounded by the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country, stating that 23 per cent of 86 per cent registered TB patients tested positive for HIV.

It also revealed that the infection was more prevalent in males than in females, with highest incidence in the age group 45-54.

For the first time in the history of the country, this survey has provided a nationwide population-based estimate of the TB burden for Nigeria, unveiling a level of TB prevalence that is much higher than previously thought.

The TB prevalence survey was conducted by the national tuberculosis control programme of the federal ministry of health in close collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).