From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau
The Zamfara State Tuberculosis Network Advocacy Team (SAT) has strengthened its partnership with TB People Nigeria to promote the meaningful participation of tuberculosis survivors in community-led health interventions across the state.
The advocacy engagement focused on strengthening collaboration between TB People Nigeria and the integrated Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) Project being implemented by the TB Network.
The meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss measures to improve coordination, communication and the participation of TB survivors and other community structures in tuberculosis prevention, treatment and monitoring programmes.
Speaking during the meeting, the State Programme Officer, Yahaya Muhammad, commended TB People Nigeria, led by its State Coordinator, Mr Tijjani Muhammad Ustaz, for emphasising the critical role of TB survivors in community-led monitoring activities.
Muhammad said TB survivors were an important part of the Community-Led Monitoring Team and had been identified and selected through collaboration between TB People Nigeria and the state Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (TBLCP).
He stressed the need for improved communication between TB survivors and programme officers, noting that stronger coordination would enable the CLM project to better document community experiences and translate identified challenges into practical interventions.
Responding, Ustaz reaffirmed TB People Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening partnerships aimed at improving tuberculosis prevention, detection, treatment and control.
Sharing his experience as a TB survivor, Ustaz said his journey through the disease and eventual recovery inspired him to encourage people showing symptoms associated with tuberculosis to seek prompt testing and appropriate medical care.
He called for platforms where TB survivors could openly share their experiences, achievements, challenges and recommendations, saying their contributions could provide valuable insights for improving community-led interventions.
Ustaz also urged programme officers to deliberately involve TB survivors in project activities and provide the mentorship and support required for effective participation.
He noted that survivors have varying levels of formal education and technical experience and may therefore require additional training to contribute effectively to community-led monitoring activities.
The stakeholders also called for capacity-building programmes for TB survivors and Ward Development Committees (WDCs), particularly in community-led monitoring, TB prevention, case identification, referral, advocacy, data collection and community engagement.
They recommended regular engagement involving TB People Nigeria, TB survivors, programme officers and CLM teams, alongside stronger mentorship for survivors participating in monitoring activities.
Other recommendations included greater inclusion of TB survivors in planning and review meetings, improved communication with programme officers and proper documentation of survivors’ experiences and success stories for advocacy, community sensitisation and learning.
The stakeholders said strengthening the voices and capacity of TB survivors would contribute to more responsive community-based interventions and support efforts to improve tuberculosis control in Zamfara State.
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