The ECN Foundation was among 30 organizations invited to participate in the 2026 World Tuberculosis (TB) Day event held on March 24, 2026, in Ikeja, Lagos, as stakeholders intensified calls to end the disease by 2030.

 

The event, organized by the Lagos State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady TB Steering Committee, featured a high-profile awareness walk followed by a symposium at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium.

 

With the theme “YES! WE CAN END TB,” the gathering brought together top government officials, health experts, development partners, and civil society organizations to address the urgent need for strengthened tuberculosis control efforts, particularly in high-burden countries like Nigeria.

 

The event was headlined by the First Lady of Lagos State Mrs Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, who also serves as a TB Champion. Other prominent dignitaries in attendance included OluKemi Ogunyemi, Akin Abayomi, Olusegun Ogboye, Abimbola Mabogunje, Dayo Lajide, and Vivian Ibeziako.

 

Also present were representatives from global and local health organizations, including the World Health Organization, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, and Damien Foundation, alongside health workers, community advocates, and students.

 

Key partner networks such as the Stop TB Partnership Nigeria and TB Network Lagos were also represented, with ECN Foundation participating as an active member.

 

Speakers at the event emphasized the global urgency to accelerate action against tuberculosis, highlighting critical priorities such as closing funding gaps, improving child health outcomes, and enhancing case detection systems. These efforts are particularly vital in high-burden regions, where TB continues to pose significant public health challenges.

 

The 2026 World TB Day commemoration served as a renewed call to action, reinforcing commitments from government, partners, and civil society to work collaboratively toward eliminating tuberculosis as a public health threat by the year 2030.