The 2025 World Tuberculosis Day celebration has ended in the state with a call on government and individuals to prioritize health and commit to ending Tuberculosis.
The 2025 celebration, which had as its theme: 'We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,' was marked with a sensitization walk around some major streets in Calabar, which climaxed with a visit to the Cross River State Commissioner for Health.
Elder Ajom Ikongha, the Cross River State Program Manager of the Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Buruli Ulcer (TBLS) program, spoke during the walk, charging government at all levels to prioritize tuberculosis prevention and treatment by strengthening healthcare systems, as well as closing the funding gap that continues to hinder progress in the fight against TB.
Ikongha, who emphasized that TB is the world's deadliest infectious disease and leading cause of death, said it is preventable and curable, while calling on individuals to look out for signs and symptoms of TB and visit the nearest health center for screening.
Also speaking, Dr. Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, called on individuals to prioritize their health and go for testing and possible treatment if symptoms are noticed.
The SA emphasized that the fight against TB is a collective one that requires all hands to be on deck. He called on all stakeholders to commit to the fight against TB, especially in the area of advocacy.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ayuk, while receiving the team at the State Ministry of Health, lauded the efforts of the state TB team in combating the scourge, stating that though global TB incidence has declined, the progress is too slow.
Ayuk, who was represented by the Director of Planning Research and Statistics, Mr. Casmir Ugbong, re-emphasized the state government's commitment to the fight against TB, stating that the Governor Otu-led administration prioritizes the health of its citizens.
World Tuberculosis Day, marked globally on March 24 annually, is a day set aside to raise awareness on the devastating health, social, and economic consequences of TB and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.
The celebration also had a visit to the Afokang Correctional Center, where inmates were tested and screened for TB, as well as an interdenominational service at the Voice of God Ministries, where the wife of the Governor, Apostle Eyo-Awan Otu, was decorated as a TB ambassador.
Missang Akpet, Beagle News
