Nigeria's TB Drug Shortage Persists Amid $54M Funding Delay

Nigeria is facing a critical shortage of anti-tuberculosis drugs, endangering patients and increasing the risk of transmission. Health officers reported at a training in Abuja that essential TB medications have been out of stock for almost two months, with supplies insufficient to last until December.

The absence of TB Preventive Therapy (TPT) is particularly concerning, as all available TPT is expired. Workers are forced to ration medications, with reports of patients being told to return for treatment weeks later due to unavailability.

The Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) has called for the Federal Government to declare the situation a national public health emergency. A report indicated that 64.2 percent of facilities reported stock-outs of essential TB commodities.

The $54 million funding commitment made by Dr Charles Nzelu, Director of Public Health at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in March 2026, has yet to be realized, leaving the health sector in a precarious state.