Community Power Accelerates Six-Month DR-TB Care in Nigeria

A new programmatic review from Nigeria’s Southeast zone adds encouraging real-world evidence to the growing body of data on six-month, all-oral BPaL/BPaLM regimens for drug-resistant TB. Analyzing routine care between November 2023 and October 2024, the study followed 212 patients: 202 with MDR/RR-TB treated with BPaLM and 10 with pre-XDR TB treated with BPaL.

Treatment success reached 89% among people with MDR/RR-TB receiving BPaLM and 100% for the smaller pre-XDR BPaL cohort. Loss to follow-up and mortality rates compared favorably to historical programmatic outcomes and track early implementation experiences elsewhere. Reported adverse events mirrored known patterns for these regimens, though documentation was incomplete—highlighting the need to strengthen routine pharmacovigilance as rollout expands.

Fast Track the Cure implementing partner TB REACH is supporting Nigeria’s implementation through community-led monitoring, direct support for people on treatment, and education and advocacy campaigns that raise awareness of new, shorter DR-TB options and build urgency for their widespread adoption. These community-driven efforts complement clinical and programmatic work by helping people navigate treatment, improving demand and trust, and ensuring that feedback from patients and families informs service delivery.

Nigeria is actively scaling BPaL/M, and together with communities, translating evidence into practice—so more people can complete treatment and return to health.

Photo credit: Muhammad-Taha Ibrahim