FG Urged to Increase Funding for TB Response in Nigeria

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The federal government has been charged to increase funding for Tuberculosis response in the country by placing stronger emphasis on cost-effective, scalable solutions aligned with national priorities.

The Network Head, Anglo-West Africa, Roche Diagnostics, Roberto Taboada made this assertion in a statement Tuesday to commemorate the World’s Tuberculosis Day 2026.

While applauding the country for its meaningful progress in recent years towards strengthening its tuberculosis response, he noted that the significant accomplishment was a milestone to build upon despite findings stating a 15 per cent spike in the number of nationally reported TB cases in 2020.

Taboada said Tuberculosis remains one of the most pressing public health challenges in Nigeria despite continued efforts to improve detection and treatment.

He noted that the country has continued to carry a high burden of disease, placing sustained pressure on patients, healthcare workers and national systems.

He said diagnostic systems will increase the pace and confirm more patients’ statuses despite expanded case finding efforts and improved access to screening helping to identify more people who may be living with TB.

Taboada explained further that Nigeria’s healthcare priorities will benefit immensely from greater coordination as integration will allow existing laboratory networks to be used more effectively, supporting multiple disease areas while improving overall system performance.

“Essentially, what integrated testing facilitates is that, instead of simply performing an isolated test for TB, one blood sample can yield results for multiple diseases simultaneously. With comorbidities like HIV and YB compounding the disease burden, this could not be more valuable.

“The World Health Organization has reinforced this direction, highlighting the role of integrated and high-throughput diagnostic approaches in strengthening case detection and programme efficiency. These approaches are particularly relevant in settings where demand is high and resources must be used carefully.

“At the same time, global funding dynamics are changing. As countries adapt to a more constrained funding environment, there is a stronger emphasis on cost-effective, scalable solutions aligned with national priorities,” he said.

Taboada also urged collaboration between the public and private sector in engaging openly to support more efficient and scalable diagnostic approaches that can support higher testing volumes while leveraging existing infrastructure for testing.

He added that when there is an alignment of programmes that involves national and industrial partners it will be possible to design TB testing solutions that are both practical and sustainable.

“The good news is that Nigerian policymakers have stood up and taken notice. We are seeing a renewed focus on efficiency. Solutions that can support higher testing volumes while leveraging existing infrastructure for testing have been embraced, and national health decision-makers are partnering with private-sector stakeholders in alignment with national TB programme goals, engaging openly to support more efficient and scalable diagnostic approaches. This approach is geared towards systems that enable faster case confirmation and more effective use of available resources,” Taboada said.