Contact Tracing Saves Lives: Aondofa Apar’s Journey to TB Prevention in Gboko South
When 50-year-old Aondofa Apar, a dedicated farmer from the Gboko South community in Benue State, received the news that his younger brother had been diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB), he had no idea that it would mark a turning point not just for his brother but for his entire family.
His brother, a 35-year-old student at a tertiary institution, was bacteriologically diagnosed with TB after seeking care for a persistent cough. Fortunately, after comprehensive counselling from a DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse) Officer, he was immediately started on treatment. What followed, however, was a vital component of Nigeria’s TB control strategy: contact tracing.
Recognizing that close contacts of TB patients are at an increased risk of infection, the DOTS Officer promptly initiated contact investigation. Aondofa and his four siblings were identified as household contacts and screened using Sputum samples, which were collected and sent to the General Hospital in Gboko for analysis using the GeneXpert protocol, and the results returned bacteriologically negative. Additionally, Mr. Aodonofa underwent a chest X-ray due to complaints of cough and chest pain; however, the findings were also negative.
Though all five tested negative for active TB, they were enrolled on TB Preventive Therapy (TPT), a globally recommended intervention aimed at preventing the progression of latent TB infection to active disease. Since March 2025, the Apar family has been receiving TPT at Favour Medical Centre in Gboko, a private facility supported by KNCV Nigeria through the TB LON 1&2 Project. They will complete their preventive treatment in May 2025. For Mr. Aondofa, the experience has been transformative.
“I am grateful for the health worker who traced us,” he said. “Without them, we wouldn’t have known we were at risk. TPT gave us peace of mind. I want others to know it’s worth it. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”
Mr. Aondofa’s story underscores the lifesaving potential of contact tracing and preventive therapy. Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s leading infectious disease killers, yet it is preventable and curable when communities are reached early and systematically.
Contact tracing enables health systems to identify and assess individuals who have been exposed to an infectious TB case, especially within households where transmission risk is highest. When combined with TPT, this approach not only prevents future cases but also disrupts the transmission cycle, making it a cornerstone of national and global TB elimination strategies. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends TPT for all eligible contacts of bacteriologically confirmed TB cases, particularly in high-burden settings like Nigeria.
Through its robust support for the Private Mix model, KNCV Nigeria continues to extend the reach of TB prevention and care across underserved communities. By equipping private and faith-based facilities, such as Favour Medical Centre, with the necessary tools, training, and supervision to deliver TPT and conduct effective contact tracing, KNCV Nigeria is helping ensure that no family is left behind.