Chevron, partners boost TB fight with N2.2bn

Chevron Nigeria Limited and parties to the Agbami oil field have spent N2.2 billion to build, furnish and equip about 25 Chest Clinics for institutions and hospital in Nigeria since 2008.

The move was part of their contribution to support the eradication of Tuberculosis (TB) from the country.

Dr Femi Pitan, an Occupational Health Physician with Chevron disclosed this recently in Abuja during a high-level roundtable on TB financing organized by the Stop TB Nigeria.

She said from 2008, Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited, an affiliate of Chevron and the parties to the Agbami field made up of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Famfa Oil Ltd, Statoil Nigeria Ltd and Petroleo Brasileiro Nigeria Ltd, have built, equipped and donated the 25 chest clinics with 25 GeneXpert machines to government-owned hospitals across the country.

Pitan said the choice of intervention in TB was to achieve early detection and proper management of the disease in Nigeria.

She said TB intervention programme has generated more than 1,000 jobs and opportunities for people and local firms, as well as organized practical trainings for over 100 laboratory attendants and supervisors from the chest clinics.

Pitan added that since 2015, Chevron and its parties have embarked on awareness campaigns in Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Nasarawa and Oyo states, in partnership with local nongovernment organizations and the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLC) to raise awareness on the dangers of TB.

The National Coordinator of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), Mrs Adebola Lawanson complained that while the country was suffering a funding shortfall of $215 million, private sector financing in the fight against tuberculosis, was in dire need.