Even with Tuberculosis being curable in Nigeria and the presence of free medication, the rate of Tuberculosis doesn’t seem to reduce over the years. Read this article to educate yourself on Tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis, also known as TB, is an infectious disease that affects the lungs. Symptoms of Tuberculosis include coughing for over two weeks, weight loss, headaches, general body pains, sweating at night, difficulty in breathing, fever, chills, and being unable to eat.

Tuberculosis is spread when a person with it sneezes, speaks, sings, coughs, or spits into the air. It’s an airborne disease. People nearby can breathe in these germs and become infected. However, not everyone infected with TB germs becomes sick.

Those with inactive TB, also known as latent TB infection, don’t show symptoms and can’t spread the germs to others. On the other hand, people with active TB disease can spread the germs, especially to those they spend time with daily, such as family members, friends, or coworkers.

Factors that also increase the risk of TB transmission include exposure to someone with active TB, living in high-risk settings like hospitals, living in a place with too many people that isn’t properly ventilated, staying or frequent travel to high-risk TB countries, such as countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America that have high TB rates.

We can prevent the spread of Tuberculosis by taking vaccines against Tuberculosis, going for Tuberculosis tests if coughing for over two weeks, treating inactive TB, staying in well-ventilated places, covering the mouth while coughing, avoiding irresponsible spitting, and educating people about Tuberculosis, especially those living in rural areas. Hospitals should also implement infection control plans to minimize TB transmission.

It is essential to note that Tuberculosis is preventable, treatable, and curable. However, the earlier it is diagnosed, the better and easier it is to treat. If left unmanaged and untreated, Tuberculosis will eventually lead to death. In Nigeria, hundreds of thousands of Tuberculosis cases are reported yearly. Although the drugs are free, lack of awareness, ignorance, poverty, and inadequate healthcare services often hinder effective management and eventual curbing of the disease.

Read Ose’s harrowing encounter with Tuberculosis and how she nearly lost her life due to her parents’ ignorance.

In the middle of the night, Ose lay awake, her body wracked with pain. She tossed and turned, coughing and sweating as tears streamed down her face. Her mother, exhausted from staying up all night, had dozed off in the same room. The previous day’s hospital visit had taken a toll on her, leaving her no opportunity to rest.

As dawn broke, Mr. Kenneth, Ose’s father, checked his wallet and the meager change in his hand. He glanced at his ailing daughter, then checked his account balance. The numerous hospital visits had depleted their funds, yet Ose’s condition showed no signs of improvement.

“Good morning, honey,” Ose’s mother greeted her husband as she came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her chest. She sensed his distress and felt helpless herself. A faint, reassuring smile crossed her lips, an attempt to comfort him. The silence was broken when Ose’s father instructed her to get ready so he could drop them off at the hospital on his way to work.

A few minutes later, Ose’s younger sister was seen loading their bags into the car. Ose’s mom carefully carried Ose on her back, trying to get Ose into the car. “Doh,” Mr. Kenneth said at intervals, paving the way for them. Before long, they were settled, and the car drove off.

In the car, 16-year-old Ose, whose illness had begun with constant headaches, blurry vision, fever, and malaria, followed by a persistent and stubborn cough, coughed incessantly. She spat blood, and her mom helped her clean up. Ose’s eyes were bloodshot, and she looked genuinely exhausted, forcing herself to breathe. Her chest felt tight, and she wheezed loudly.

As they drove, Mrs. Kenneth’s phone rang. It was her friend calling. She answered passively, focusing primarily on Ose. “My sister, if I say I never tire for this sickness, na lie I dey lie,” she said on the call. “This sickness when we nor know how e take come don take many things from me, from us. Wetin we never do? We done do native; them say fever o, say malaria and typhoid, we don treat those ones, but no good result. Another place say na low blood level, we don treat that one too, still nothing. Now, my pikin dey spit blood. Osalobua lahor!”

On the call, Mrs. Kenneth’s friend comforted her, assuring her that Ose would receive proper treatment at the recommended Naval Hospital. Upon arrival, healthcare workers in naval uniforms brought a stretcher and wheeled Ose inside. Mr. Kenneth gave his wife a gentle peck on the cheek before walking off to his car. Mrs. Kenneth quickly followed Ose into the room.

A middle-aged doctor entered, inquiring about Ose’s symptoms. He jotted down a brief note and handed it to Mrs. Kenneth, instructing her to visit the nearest General Hospital’s tuberculosis treatment section, as their medication supply had run out. Overwhelmed, Mrs. Kenneth called her husband, explaining the situation through tears. He reassured her that he would take a leave from work and come get them.

Twenty minutes later, Mr. Kenneth arrived and, instead of heading to the General Hospital, drove them home. “My daughter can never have Tuberculosis, God forbid!” Mrs. Kenneth exclaimed, her voice laced with exhaustion and determination. “That deadly disease will never come near my household.”

“We now know it’s the cough that’s the issue; that’s what we’ll treat,” Mr. Kenneth said in agreement. “Don’t mind all these yeye hospitals that like giving people problems that don’t belong to them.”

The next day, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth visited a local medicine store that sold herbs, claiming they could cure any type of cough. They gave the herbs to their daughter, but they had no effect. They then went to other unlicensed healthcare centers, where they received self-prescribed medications, but the cough persisted, and Ose’s health deteriorated. They even tried a final herb suggested by random individuals, but it, too failed to work.

Frustrated and scared of losing their daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth decided one morning to take Ose to the General Hospital. Mr. Kenneth drove them to the nearest hospital, where Ose and her mom waited in the car while he sought directions to the Tuberculosis section. When he found it, he returned to the car, took his wife and daughter there, and handed the referral letter to one of the nurses.

Upon seeing the date on the letter, the nurses scolded Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth for their ignorance and the time wasted, revealing that the referring doctor had called them multiple times. The nurses in the Tuberculosis department, observing Ose’s condition, asked her to move behind the department, where she would be isolated due to the airborne nature of the disease. However, before commencing treatment, they needed to conduct their own tests.

Mrs. Kenneth took Ose to the laboratory, where they collected her urine and blood for an HIV test. They also provided a container for Ose to spit or cough into the following morning, which would serve as the primary sample for the Tuberculosis test. The family was instructed to return in three days for the HIV test results. They headed home, slightly hopeful. The next morning, after Ose had spat into the container, Mrs. Kenneth took the sputum sample to the hospital’s laboratory.

On the day they were scheduled to return to the hospital for the HIV test results, they went to the hospital. The results came back negative, and they proceeded to the Tuberculosis department, where they were asked to wait two extra days for the TB test results. Two days later, they returned to the hospital, and the results revealed that Ose had Tuberculosis.

The nurses instructed Ose to move behind the Tuberculosis department, where TB patients were isolated. The nurses then arrived, wearing nose masks, and addressed Ose alongside other Tuberculosis patients.

The first nurse educated them about tuberculosis. “TB has a cure, but you must be careful not to spread the disease to others. Tuberculosis is an airborne disease. To prevent transmission, avoid sharing utensils like spoons, cups, and plates. You’ll have to eat alone, avoid spitting, and stay in well-ventilated rooms. Cough with your mouth closed, and most importantly, take your drugs first thing in the morning, and do not miss your medications for any reason.”

The first nurse nodded to the next nurse, who continued, “The government provides tuberculosis drugs for free, and you must take them diligently for the next six months to avoid relapse. A healthy diet and fruits are essential for the drugs to work effectively.” The nurse handed them the medication and cards to track their progress, instructing them to return after one week.

Mrs. Kenneth was advised to undergo tests and treatment if necessary, as she had been Ose’s primary caregiver. The nurse instructed her to thoroughly clean and disinfect their home, as well as dispose of any utensils shared with Ose.

Ose diligently took her medication. A few days after the first dosage, there were visible changes. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth, having experienced coughing for over two weeks, went for tests and discovered they had contracted stage 1 tuberculosis. Fortunately, their cases were not as severe as Ose’s. They received treatment, completed their medication regimen, and were eventually cured of tuberculosis. Ose’s younger sister also received treatment for inactive TB.

Now, the family actively educates people about tuberculosis, emphasizing its curability and advocating against stigmatizing TB patients. Instead, they stress the importance of treating those affected with care, love, and compassion.

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Gloria

I’m a graduate of the University of Benin, I studied International Studies and Diplomacy. I’m lifestyle writer, content and copy writer, content strategist, poet and spoken word artiste.

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