TB preventive therapy (TPT) used to require taking multiple pills daily for six months or more. Now, there are short-course regimens that reduce the pill burden and treatment duration, making it more likely that individuals will complete the full treatment cycle.
In Nigeria, in November 2022, Akwa Ibon State community healthcare worker Ekereobong Ikobo noticed her four year-old son, Ubong Obasi, had a cough that continued for several days. "I became concerned. Three days later, I arrived home from work, and my children informed me that some representatives from [USAID’s local partner] visited our community and collected stool samples for TB testing,” she said. “Hearing the news was relieving and reassuring.”
Test results indicated that Ubong had tested positive for TB, and he was referred to the general hospital for treatment. Community health care workers then further investigated all household contacts. Fortunately, the rest of the household tested negative for TB, and TPT medication was administered to all members to prevent further disease. Ubong successfully completed his treatment and is in good health, and no other household members developed TB.
In Nigeria, efforts such as community screenings have contributed to a more than five-fold increase in the number of contacts enrolled on TPT from 2021 to 2022, and a more than nine-fold increase from 2019 to 2022.
