Two years of the pandemic: Impact of COVID-19 on tuberculosis management in Nigeria

Tuberculosis case recognition and plotting is a key strategy employed by the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Program in Nigeria to curtail the increasing gap of tuberculosis cases. Nigeria recorded its first case of COVID-19 in late January 2020, and since then Nigeria has currently recorded 255,753 confirmed cases with 3,143 deaths. It has currently recorded 2,699 new cases, as of 2 May 2022, among tuberculosis patients. Since the emergence of coronavirus, there has been a progressive decrease in clinic attendance and tuberculosis identification, detection, mapping, and management. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted negatively on tuberculosis patients' services in Nigeria as well as the nutritional status of tuberculosis patients. The present review summarizes the impact of COVID-19 on the tuberculosis epidemic in Nigeria. The tuberculosis program could maximize potential resources employed to combat the pandemic, such as digital health technology and funds, and work toward strengthening the patient-centered approach of care to limit the challenges that COVID-19 presents to tuberculosis control.