Social and Behavior Change to Increase Tuberculosis Care-Seeking in Nigeria: Tools and Resources

In 2021, Nigeria accounted for 4.4% of the world’s tuberculosis (TB) cases, ranking sixth among nations with the highest case rate. About 500,000 Nigerians are infected with TB annually. Testing and treatment for TB are free at government health facilities in Nigeria. Despite this, Nigeria struggles to identify TB cases; in 2018, the country’s National TB, Leprosy, and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP) was only able to track 24% of cases. Several factors have kept Nigerians from seeking care for cough and fever and getting tested for TB. People presumed to have TB often delay seeking care until the advanced stages of the disease, and those who do seek care tend to do so at patent and proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs) and community pharmacies rather than health facilities.

Through a strategic package of SBC interventions, Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria has contributed to the NTBLCP’s goal of increasing the number of TB cases and is currently supporting 8 states in the country. Breakthrough ACTION has developed and implemented social and behavior change interventions to increase the number of tuberculosis (TB) cases identified in Nigeria. These resources can be adapted and used by professionals interested in using SBC approaches to address TB or practitioners implementing TB programs.

Source: Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: August 13, 2024