Chairman for Stop TB Partnership Ghana, David Kwasi Afreh, has indicated that Tuberculosis (TB) is not a spiritual disease but a bacteria respiratory infection that could be cured if one seeks early diagnosis and treatment.
“TB is not cause by witches and wizards, there is treatment for TB and it can be cured, so people should stop seeking cure from herbal center, adding that “If one begin to show signs of fever and sever cough within twenty four hours then he or she should go to any nearby health facility and request for TB test and if one test positive he or she is taking through a six month treatment process”, he explained.
Mr. Afreh further added that “We have to be alert, especially young people between the ages of twenty five years and thirty five years who drink and smoke must be alert and also know that TB is real”, adding that most of the cases they have recorded fall in this age groups.
The Chairman said this in interview shortly after a TB screening exercise organized by the Stop TB Partnership with 37 Military Hospital TB Control Programme Unit and one of its implementing partners thus Ghana Education Project (GEP) Social Marketing in Ayawaso North and East in Accra.
He disclosed that early detection of TB disease could easily be cured but late detection leads to serious complications and therefore advised everybody to voluntarily go for TB screening, testing and treatment.
There are drugs that can kill the bacteria that has gotten into ones system, causing problems and one would be cured completely.
He continued that it is the duty of Stop TB Partnership Organization to reach go too hard to communities across the sixteen regions of the country in order to let them know that TB is real and also help them to go through screening, testing and treatment.
“We have deployed about ninety seven Non – Governmental Organization that are pre – implementing partners of the Stop TB Partnership Organization to help close the gab created between persons leaving in urban centers and persons leaving in hard to reach areas in the country”.
Though there is radio, television and social media, this people do not have access to information about TB diseases because their geographical area is not easy to reach and also the lack social amenities such as Ghana Health Service Centers, CHPS compound, etc.
“Our people go too hard to reach areas, room to room, church to church, house to house, organise community durbar, to create awareness, and also let them know that TB treatment is easy and free at any nearby health facility”.
They also use Ghana Health Service (GHS) system for screening presumed TB patients, collect specimen, sputum and transport them to a health facility for the sputum to be tested and when the person is positive, he or she would be linked to Ghana Health Service to receive drugs for free and be monitored by the health volunteers in the Communities who work with our implementing partners the treatment process.
There is a slight difference between TB and Covid – 19 even though they all fall in the same disease gab, but there is the need for to give them attention, because COVID – 19 has come to stay.
“COVID- 19 is caused by virus and TB is caused by bacteria but they have similar symptoms”, Mr. Afreh explained.
