The Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment (SOCCEE) has urged urgent government action over tuberculosis drug shortages in Kano State.

The group warned that shortages of TB medicines and diagnostic commodities could undermine efforts to control the disease.

The SOCCEE Executive Director, Sunusi Hashim, made the call on Friday during an interview in Kano.

Mr Hashim said critical commodities, especially GeneXpert cartridges for TB diagnosis, were unavailable during the first and second quarters of 2026.

He said the shortages had affected healthcare delivery across facilities, leaving thousands of patients without access to treatment.

“Between 3,000 and 4,000 TB patients in Kano State are currently out of treatment,” Mr Hashim said.

He explained that SOCCEE had expanded its activities to 30 local government areas across the state.

He stated that the organisation identified over 1,500 diagnosed TB patients and enrolled about 800 on treatment.

Mr Hashim warned that prolonged shortages could trigger a major public health crisis within the next three to four months.

“The challenge is that we identify suspected cases and collect samples, but facilities lack commodities for diagnosis,” he said.

He added that the situation rendered community-based efforts ineffective when required services were unavailable.

Mr Hashim called for immediate intervention from the Federal, Kano State and Local Governments to address the shortages.

He urged the Kano State Government to establish a dedicated budget line for tuberculosis control programmes.

He said TB funding should be separated from broader public health allocations, like HIV/AIDS and malaria programmes.

Mr Hashim said the current N250 million allocation for TB interventions was insufficient for effective service delivery.

He noted that the funding could not provide enough diagnostic cartridges for even one month.

The SOCCEE director also highlighted efforts to improve treatment adherence among TB patients in Kano.

According to him, the organisation works with 17 civil society organisations to raise awareness and support patients.

“Our goal is to ensure patients complete their medication and prevent further spread,” Mr Hashim said.

He urged authorities to increase funding and ensure timely release of approved resources.

Mr Hashim also appealed to local councils to support TB control activities within their communities. 

(NAN)