How 500,000 Nigerians suffer from this dangerous infection yearly

Findings also revealed that Delta has estimated cases of 15,000 infected persons per year but medical experts say only between 2,500 to 3000 are available for treatment on a yearly basis.

Dr. Akpodiete Alexander, the Deputy Control Officer of Tuberculosis and Leprosy Referral Centre in Delta, gave the details, even as he revealed that Nigeria ranks 10^th among the 22 high burden tuberculosis countries globally.

Dr. Akpodiete said though the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the disease a global emergency, it has remained one of the world’s major causes of ill health and death.

READ ALSO: Investigation: Inside the Niger Delta chilling tales of pains, hunger amidst plenty of crude Oil

Research findings, according to Akpodiete, are indicative that one third of the world’s population, a total of two billion people, are carriers of tuberculosis, noting that more than nine million of these figure are sick each year with active TB that could spread to others.

According to him, the disease affects people in resource-poor settings, particularly Africa and Asia and it poses a challenge to developing economies as it primarily affects people during most of their productive years.

He stressed that more than 90 percent of new TB cases and deaths occur in developing countries of the world. He said globally, tuberculosis is the second greatest contributor among infectious diseases to adult mortality, causing approximately 1.7million deaths a year worldwide.

He said given the increasing trend towards globalization, trans-national migration and tourism, all countries are potential targets for outbreak of tuberculosis.

He called on Nigerians who are infected or have knowledge of those infected in their communities to bring them forward for treatment, explaining that treatment for tuberculosis is free, since it is funded by the international community.