Abuja, Nigeria, 18 November, 2014 - The Federal Government has conferred an Award on WHO for its meritorious service, outstanding technical assistance and unflinching efforts in resource mobilization for tuberculosis (TB) management in Nigeria at the launching of the National TB Prevalence Survey Report and the National Strategic Plan for TB control 2015-2020, in Abuja on 18th November 2014. The Award was presented by the Honorable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan.

The citation preceding the ceremony, reads in part: “WHO has supported the strengthening of the TB diagnostic network and it is the leading Agency in the overall capacity building processes of the TB control programme in Nigeria”.

Making the public presentation of the two strategic documents earlier, the Minister described the Report and the Strategic Plan as “robust responses that will define the strategies to improve TB case management. This is a turning point in the current focus which is enshrined in the conviction that no Nigerian should die of TB as it is curable”.

Dr. Alhassan poignantly added that “against expectation, the National TB prevalence survey has revealed that the disease burden more than doubles what was previously estimated and Nigeria must now respond to this wake-up call”.

The Minister’s viewpoint corroborated the goodwill message by Dr. Rui Vaz, the WHO Country Representative (WR) at the occasion, in which he disclosed that “the survey also confirmed a worrisome situation with regard to Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Nigeria is now the 13th highest MDR-TB burden country globally and the 2nd highest in the African Region; with estimated 3,700 cases per year, of whom only up to 500 have ever been put on treatment”.

The WR used the occasion to congratulate the Government of Nigeria on the launching of the country’s first ever TB prevalence survey report and its antecedent National strategic plan, adding that “we are particularly proud that we were able to provide assistance through our Global Task Force on TB Impact Measurement and the country office since 2012 so as to ensure that the survey is in line with current global standards”.

The public presentation of the two strategic documents was witnessed by other partners including CDC, USAID, The Global Fund, ILEP,  the Leprosy Mission in Nigeria among many others.