Towards mitigating the huge burden of tuberculosis in in Nigeria, the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative, ASR Africa, in partnership with the United States Government Agency for International Development, USAID, have renovated 10 Tuberculosis Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (DOTS) centres in identified Primary Health Care centres across seven states in the country.
A leading philanthropic organisation committed to delivering sustainable impact in health, education, and social development across Africa, ASR Africa renovated the centres in Kano, Rivers, Katsina, Bauchi, Anambra, Oyo, and Lagos States, under its HIV/TB Intervention Support programme.
Nigeria has the highest number of TB cases in Africa and accounts for 4.6 percent of the global TB burden. The World Health Organisation, WHO, notes that every hour, nearly 30 people die from TB in Nigeria, despite effective treatments being available.
With a donation of $500,000 drawn from the ASR Africa's Fund for Social Development and Renewal, the partnership objectives include curbing tuberculosis and HIV in Nigeria and addressing Sexual and Gender-based Violence, SGBV, through supporting survivors with the provision of dignity kits in USAID-supported Sexual Assault Response Centers, SARCs.
The donation was utilised for the provision of 11 loop-mediated isothermal amplification diagnostic machines, also known as TB-LAMPs, laboratory reagents and consumables, as well as 1,200 dignity kits for survivors of gender-based violence in selected states. Part of the donation was utilised for the renovation of the centres.
Disclosing this and more at the handover of the Akinyele Primary Health Centre, Alimosho, Lagos (one of the 10 renovated centres) the MD/CEO of ASR Africa, Dr Ubon Udoh, said that with the installation of the TB machines, over 22,108 samples have already been taken in all the centres combined, out of which confirmed positive cases are receiving expert medical treatment.
Udoh, who spoke on behalf of the Executive Chairman of BUA Group and Founder of ASR Africa, Abdul Samad Rabiu, applauded the USAID team for their intervention and their partnership with the Federal government of Nigeria in the eradication of tuberculosis in the country.
Applauding the USAID team for their intervention and their partnership with the Government of Nigeria in the eradication of TB, Udoh commended governments of the benefiting states and respective agencies who worked to deliver on the project's success.
The Mission Director, of USAID Nigeria, Anne Patterson, represented by the Deputy Director, of the HIV/TB Office, USAID Nigeria, Omosalewa Oyelaran, acknowledged the Founder of ASR Africa, Abdul Samad Rabiu, for collaborating with USAID and invigorating the fight against TB and HIV in Nigeria.
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Oyelaran remarked that the partnership with ASR Africa Initiative has provided critical support to reducing the burden of TB and ensuring a better quality of life for those affected.
On her part, the Mosan Okunola LCDA Chairperson, Princess Olabisi Adebayo appreciated ASR Africa for the initiative to enable access to quick TB diagnosis and treatment.
''We will take ownership of this facility and embark on advocacy exercise within the LCDA to ensure proper education about the danger of tuberculosis and the available treatment courtesy of ASR Africa,'' she assured.
ASR Africa, the brainchild of the Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, was established in 2021 to provide sustainable, impact-based, homegrown solutions to developmental issues affecting Africa's Health, Education, and Social Development.
