TB Network Strengthens Nigeria’s DR-TB Response through the COMBAT DR-TB Project
November 2025
Civil Society for the Eradication of Tuberculosis in Nigeria (TB Network) successfully conducted a National Training-of-Trainers (NToT) workshop targeting key policy makers, affected and vulnerable population, the Civil Society/Community-Based Organizations (CSOs/CBOs) on Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) and the Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) strategy for evidence-based advocacy for change.
Participants in the week-long workshop included the State TB, Buruli Ulcer, and Leprosy Control Program Managers and DR-TB Focal Persons from the State Ministries of Health, community stakeholders, including Survivors, CSOs/CBO,s with the support of its project Community-Driven Approaches for Transformative Change to Combat Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (COMBAT DR-TB) funded by UNITAID through KELIN (Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS).
The training is the first leg of the workshop for states in the Northern zones on the project implementation plan and was jointly facilitated by the National TB, Buruli Ulcer and Leprosy Control Program (NTBLCP) and TB Network, held in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The workshop enabled the critical stakeholders to assess the DR-TB situation across the states, WHO-recommended diagnosis and treatment regimens, appropriate treatment, monitoring, and counseling for adherence in the effort to strengthen Nigeria’s response to DR-TB.
The training is anchored on one of the outcomes of the project for greater national accountability towards the Multi-sectoral Accountability Framework for TB by the NTBLCP and other commitments, with engagement of civil society and affected communities in the accountability and review mechanisms.
Stakeholders from Borno, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Zamfara, and the FCT were trained on core DR-TB, effective service delivery for positive treatment outcome, stronger partnerships for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment adherence,and community-driven advocacy for action and impact.
The second leg of the NToT is planned for the Southern states.
Advancing DR-TB Diagnosis and Treatment
Key sessions strengthened participants’ understanding of DR-TB diagnostic tools, including GeneXpert, Line Probe Assay (LPA), culture, and Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST), while addressing challenges related to diagnostic access and turnaround time. Participants also explored the BPaLM and BPaL all-oral regimens, highlighting the benefits of shorter, safer, and more effective treatment options that are improving patient outcomes nationwide.
TB survivors’ voices played a central role, grounding technical discussions in lived experience and helping shape people-centred advocacy priorities. Group work and role plays translated learning into actionable strategies to improve diagnosis, treatment initiation, drug availability, and community engagement across COMBAT DR-TB implementation states.
Strengthening Counselling, Communication, and Accountability
Sessions on Social and Behavioral Change (SBC) and Treatment Adherence Counselling emphasized effective communication as a driver of improved DR-TB outcomes. Through role-play and peer review, participants examined practical approaches to counselling that prioritize empathy, understanding, and shared responsibility among patients, DOT providers, and community organizations.
Discussions reinforced the urgent need to address stigma and discrimination, identified as persistent barriers to care.
A highlight of the training was a presentation by the Initiative for the Prevention and Control of Diseases (IPCD), implementer of the UNITAID ASCENT DR-TB Project in Nasarawa State, showcasing successful BPaL/M mobilization, advocacy wins, survivor leadership, and the return of patients lost to follow-up.
The training concluded with the introduction of the Nigerian Multi-Sectoral Accountability Framework for TB (MAF-TB), a tool designed to strengthen coordination and accountability across sectors at state, LGA, and community levels.
Moving Forward
The National Training of Trainers reaffirmed a core message of the COMBAT DR-TB Project: ‘Communities remain central to effective DR-TB management and improved health outcomes in Nigeria.’
A major outcome of the NToT is that the participants will form teams of facilitators who will cascade the training across the states of implementation, targeting CSOs, CBOs, TB survivors, DR-TB service providers in LGA,s and in facilities.