The Ondo State Government has commemorated World Tuberculosis Day by organising an awareness campaign and free screening exercise in Akure. The event, held on Monday at the Ondo State Sports Complex, targeted athletes and officials from the state sports council, with over 142 individuals screened for tuberculosis.
The initiative, themed “Tuberculolympics: Tuberculosis Control and Sport Fusion 1.0,” was a collaborative effort between the State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (STBLCP) and the Damien Foundation.
Addressing participants, Dr Stephen Fagbemi, Director of Public Health at the Ondo State Ministry of Health, highlighted the importance of the programme in raising awareness and detecting cases early.
Fagbemi reiterated the commitment of both the state government and its development partners to eradicating tuberculosis in Ondo and across Nigeria. He also underscored the efforts being made to enhance prevention and treatment within the state.
“Nigeria is a young growing population, majority of our population is young under the age of 40, and the youths are also involved in sports. Tuberculosis is one disease that can stop a sports career because it’s a disease that ravages the lungs.
There is hardly any sport you can do without healthy lungs. So, we want to make sure that lungs are healthy. We have never had this kind of idea before; it is very innovative too.
Sports is what catches the attention of young people. This is going to go viral; other young people too will be looking at their health,” he stated.
He also urged pregnant women to ensure hospital deliveries so their newborns could receive vaccinations that would offer lifelong protection against tuberculosis. Additionally, he advised individuals experiencing persistent coughs lasting more than a week to seek medical attention, as screening and treatment were available free of charge.
Similarly, Dr Oluwafemi Aina, Head of the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme in the state, explained that the Tuberculolympics concept aimed to leverage the appeal of sports to educate the public about tuberculosis.
Aina stressed that tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment remained free, calling on all residents to support efforts to eliminate the disease. He also expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Sports and the state sports council for their collaboration and participation in the screening exercise.
He further revealed that the state had introduced free X-ray screenings for individuals presenting with tuberculosis symptoms to enhance early detection.
Echoing these sentiments, Mr Michael Fasonu, State Technical Assistant for the Damien Foundation, noted that the programme served as a platform to sensitise people about recognising the symptoms of tuberculosis.
Fasonu emphasised that sports provided an effective medium for engaging the public, adding that as athletes prepared for the Niger Delta Sports Festival, the event also offered them an opportunity to undergo screening.