From Pressure To Progress: Strengthening TB Diagnostics In Nigeria

ROBERTO TABOADA

Tuberculosis remains one of the most pressing public health challenges in Nigeria. Despite continued efforts to improve detection and treatment, the country continues to carry a high burden of disease, placing sustained pressure on patients, healthcare workers and national systems.

In recent years, Nigeria has made meaningful progress in strengthening its tuberculosis response. In 2020 alone, for example, according to BMJ Journals, the number of TB cases reported nationally increased by 15%. That is a significant accomplishment worth mentioning, and a milestone we can now build upon².

While expanded case finding efforts and improved access to screening have helped identify more people who may be living with TB, what comes next? Diagnostic systems must be able to increase the pace, confirm more patients’ statuses, and do so accurately and at scale.

This is where the next phase of TB response is taking shape. Across high-burden countries, there is a growing shift toward more integrated diagnostic approaches. Historically, disease programmes have often operated separately, with different systems, funding streams and infrastructure supporting each condition.

While this approach has delivered results, duplication and inefficiencies can occur, and technology has since evolved to streamline laboratory medicine, benefiting clinicians, patients and funders³.

Nigeria’s healthcare priorities will benefit immensely from greater coordination. Integration allows existing laboratory networks to be used more effectively, supporting multiple disease areas while improving overall system performance.

Essentially, what integrated testing facilitates is that, instead of simply performing an isolated test for TB, one blood sample can yield results for multiple diseases simultaneously. With comorbidities like HIV and YB compounding the disease burden, this could not be more valuable⁴.

The World Health Organization has reinforced this direction, highlighting the role of integrated and high-throughput diagnostic approaches in strengthening case detection and programme efficiency⁵. These approaches are particularly relevant in settings where demand is high, and resources must be used carefully.

At the same time, global funding dynamics are changing. As countries adapt to a more constrained funding environment, there is a stronger emphasis on cost-effective, scalable solutions aligned with national priorities.

The good news is that Nigerian policymakers have stood up and taken notice. We are seeing a renewed focus on efficiency. Solutions that can support higher testing volumes while leveraging existing infrastructure for testing have been embraced, and national health decision-makers are partnering with private-sector stakeholders in alignment with national TB programme goals, engaging openly to support more efficient and scalable diagnostic approaches. This approach is geared towards systems that enable faster case confirmation and more effective use of available resources.

Public and private collaboration will continue to play a critical role in this process. Governments, national programmes and industry partners each bring different strengths. When these are aligned, it becomes possible to design solutions that are both practical and sustainable.

As Nigeria marks World TB Day, we have a unique opportunity to reflect on the burden of disease and the remarkable progress we have made in conquering this centuries-old disease.

Strengthening TB diagnostics is not only about expanding access.

By focusing on integration, efficiency and alignment with national priorities, Nigeria is building a more resilient approach to TB control. One that can respond to growing demand, support better outcomes and contribute to a stronger healthcare system over time.

Nigeria is leading the way with its new vision on diagnosis. I look forward to seeing the nation’s progress unfold in the years ahead. And perhaps, when I revisit this topic four years from now, as we reach the WHO 2030 healthcare targets, TB will be old news, rather than a current headline.

*Roberto Taboada is the Network Head, Anglo-West Africa, Roche Diagnostics