Assessment of the Tuberculosis Care Cascade in Nigeria: A 9-Year Analysis of MDR/RR- TB Detection and Treatment (2015–2023)

Background Tuberculosis remains a major global health burden, and the rise of multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) has made it even more difficult to control. Nigeria, a high-burden country, faces serious challenges in managing TB. This study aimed to evaluate MDR/RR-TB diagnosis and treatment initiation trends in Nigeria from 2015 to 2023, identifying gaps and progress in the care cascade using World Health Organization data. Methods A retrospective secondary data analysis was conducted using national MDR-TB surveillance data from 2015 to 2023, informed by WHO reports. Descriptive statistics were used to explore trends in estimated, confirmed, and treatment-started cases. Pearson correlation and linear regression were used to assess the relationship between confirmed and treatment-started cases, using R software for analysis. Results The percentage of confirmed cases rose from 5.6% in 2015 to 38.7% in 2023, while treatment initiation among confirmed cases improved from 52.9% to 83.7%. There was a strong positive correlation between confirmed and treated cases (r = 0.989, p < 0.001). Linear regression showed a significant relationship (R² = 0.979, p < 0.001). Conclusion Nigeria has shown progress in MDR/RR-TB detection and therapy commencement, but gaps persist between estimated and confirmed cases. Strengthening diagnostic capacity and ensuring sustained treatment uptake programs are crucial for further improvements. These findings were further illustrated by line graphs showing annual trends and a scatter plot with a regression line demonstrating a strong positive relationship between confirmed and treatment-initiated cases.