Experts ask Journalists To Fight Stigma, Misinformation About Tuberculosis

Experts leading Nigeria’s tuberculosis (TB) response have tasked journalists to become frontline partners in ending preventable deaths from the disease.

They warned that stigma, misinformation and late presentation are killing Nigerians despite free and effective treatment.

At the close of a three-day media sensitisation meeting organised by TB Network in Abuja, Dr Clement Adesigbin, national Coordinator of the National Tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) at the Federal

Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said Nigeria has potent medicines to cure TB, yet about 60,000 people still died of the disease last year.

The coordinator said the deaths persist because many Nigerians do not understand the disease and seek care too late.

“Many Nigerians with persistent cough first seek help from chemists and prayer houses instead of health facilities,” he said.

“By the time they come to the facility where they can get the right service, they are already in bad condition. Some lungs are almost destroyed.”

He identified poor treatment adherence as another major driver of drug-resistant TB.

“Medicine is difficult to take. That is the reality. But when you don’t adhere to prescription, you are breeding resistance,” he said. “Many patients stop taking drugs once they feel better.”

According to him, the national response has moved beyond the Federal Ministry of Health to adopt a multisectoral approach.

“We must involve every stakeholder, every player. And that is why you are here. You can do a lot to help us,” he told journalists.

The call was reinforced by Programme Lead and Advocacy Officer for HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), and Key Affected Populations (KAPs) at the Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN), Duke Otieno, who urged the media to champion accurate and dignified reporting.

“TB is not only a healthcare sector responsibility. It requires what we call a multisectoral approach. Everyone has a role to play, including the media,” Otieno said in his virtual intervention.

“The media has the power to shape public understanding and also to influence attitudes, to challenge issues at the grassroots and to challenge misinformation.”

Both speakers urged journalists to prioritize accuracy over sensationalism, protect the dignity and confidentiality of people affected by TB, and consistently correct myths.

Key messages journalists were asked to amplify include: TB is preventable and curable, treatment is free in Nigeria, anyone with a cough lasting two weeks or more should get tested, and treatment must be completed even after symptoms improve.

“I want to encourage you to see yourselves not simply as reporters covering a health issue, but as very important partners in the TB response,” the KELIN officer said. “It is very, very important to always ensure that the voices of people affected by TB are captured.”

“We cannot end TB through medical interventions alone. We also need informed communities, reduced stigma, political commitment, and a media that is able to communicate responsibly,” he added.