Drugs for extensively resistant Tuberculosis arrive Nigeria
•Treatment of XDR-TB receives boost Strong indications have emerged showing that treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) patients that are already resistant to first and second-line drugs will be scaled up as Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has announced that the first batch of drugs for Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has arrived in the country. The drugs were provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Statistics from the WHO show that an estimated nine million new cases of TB occur globally, out of which three million cases are missed, either not diagnosed, not treated or diagnosed but not registered by the National TB programmes (NTPs). Researchers at NIMR are worried that Nigeria remains among 11 high TB burden countries that contribute 15 per cent of the three million missed cases of TB, globally. Decrying that it is unacceptable that Nigeria ranks third among the 11 countries, they said despite control efforts by the Federal Government, Nigeri