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Madam Dora Kugbonu, the Keta Municipal Health Promotion Officer, in the Volta Region, has cautioned the public against discrimination, myths and misconception against persons living with Tuberculosis (TB) sickness.
She said TB remained a major public health threat globally and needed support from individuals, corporate organisations, philanthropists among others to help educate the public and encourage patients to live better lives.
Madam Kugbonu, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, to commemorate this year’s World TB Day, said that it was significant occasion for all health workers, partners, researchers, the TB communities and all governments who contributed their resources to fight against tuberculosis.
“The day is set aside to educate and create awareness about the Tuberculosis disease and the commemoration of World TB Day is carried out annually in Ghana in March with other activities carried out throughout the year to help curb the spread of the disease,” she said.
She explained that other activities earmarked for this year’s celebration include mobilisation of resources for advocacy drive, launching of World TB Day by Ministry of Health, public engagement, television, and radio advocacy drive or sensitisation and corporate engagement and others.
She said that according World Health Organisation (WHO), TB was among the top ten causes of death and it was estimated that over 3,420 people lose their lives to TB across the world and close to 30,000 fall ill with the disease daily, while 39 people die of TB and 121 people fall sick daily in Ghana.
“In order to end TB in our communities, we need collective efforts from all institutions which include academia, business for investment, media, executives, judiciary and legislature and others that would also help provide diagnostic tools for TB diagnosis and fight against the stigma, myths and discrimination.”
Madam Kugbonu said that TB is transmitted from sick patients as a droplet infection through coughing, singing, and sneezing and inhalation of the droplets by an uninfected person may cause infection while TB usually affect the lung but can also affect other part of organs in the body such as pleura cavity, liver, scrotum, kidney, intestine, and the womb, and the victims needed to be supported than discrimination.
She said that most adults in the greater parts of the developing world including Ghana have been exposed to TB bacteria without knowing and could result in TB infection adding that “progression from infection to active TB disease depend on the immunity of the individuals and people who could be at high risk of the disease include smokers, alcoholics, prisoners, people living in over-crowded and poorly ventilated rooms, mine workers among others.”
She told the GNA that person with lowered immunity due to medical conditions such as HIV, diabetes, cancers, kidney failure and malnutrition were also at risk of the TB and the public should educated to visit hospital regularly for diagnosis and treatment as early as possible to mitigate the spread of TB.
Madam Kugbonu said that TB is cured with effective drugs using the Direct Observed Treatment (DOT) approach treatment regimen for six months with patients taking medication in the communities under the supervision of treatment supporters who could be a community health officer, relative of patients and it was referred to as community-based TB care.
She noted that TB patients on effective treatment were less infectious after 2 weeks but could still needs to cover their mouth while coughing and the patients should complete their treatment at least 6 months to be completely cured and advised the public to adhere to preventive protocols. The 2025 World TB Day was on the theme, ” Yes! We can End TB. Invest, Commit, Deliver.”
Source: GNA
