A Public health expert in the Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr Olatunde Babalola has challenged media professionals to intensify efforts at sensitizing the public on the causes, prevention, and treatment of tuberculosis and other communicable diseases.
Dr Babalola stated this at a three-day review meeting for media professionals in Oyo state, organized by the USAID Breakthrough Action Nigeria.
Dr Babalola who disclosed that Oyo state is ranked 13th high TB burden state in Nigeria explained that out of the one hundred and sixteen thousand, five hundred and thirty-three (116,533) presumptive cases in 2021, eleven thousand, eight hundred and thirteen (11,813) were diagnosed and registered as TB.
He said statistics have also shown that every second, someone in the world is being infected with TB while someone dies of TB in every twenty seconds.
He said statistics have made it more important to raise more awareness on the disease.
In a welcome address, Oyo state coordinator, Breakthrough-ACTION Nigeria, Mrs Oluwatoyin Afachung commended the media partners for their efforts at sensitizing the public and tasked them to do more to achieve a disease-free society.
Mrs Afachung said Breakthrough Action Nigeria was supporting the state government in fight the menace especially through case finding at the community level, appeal to the media to sensitize the people to let them aware of these communicable diseases.
Some of the participants however emphasized the need for media professionals to provide quality content that will drive social behavioural change in the society.
Nafiu Busari
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