TB HITS ONE-THIRD OF WORLD’S POPULATION July 02, 2010
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL
The Upper East Regional director of health services, Dr. John Koku Awoonor-Williams has stated that about one-third of the world’s population is affected with tuberculosis [TB]. Also, one in every 10 people will become sick with TB in their life time while if left untreated, more than 50 per cent of those affected will die from the disease.
Dr. Awoonor-Williams made this statement in an address he delivered at Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West district of the Upper East region to mark this year’s World TB Day. He said a person with active TB will on the average pass it on to between 10 and 15 other persons in a year if not treated.
According to the regional director of health, TB which is contagious and spreads through the air affects all parts of the body but TB of the lungs is the most common. The disease also affects children and adults alike with 60 per cent of reported cases being those with ages 15 to 45 years.
The health director said TB is among priority diseases receiving maximum attention from the directorate in which direction positive gains have been made. For instance, TB case detection at the end of the first quarter of 2010 has increased by 30% compared to 18% during the same period in 2009. Also, treatment success rate has hit an all time record of 85.3 per cent as against 77.0 per cent the same period in 2008.
He disclosed that five districts including municipalities did well with TB treatment success of above 85% and these include Bawku, Bongo, Builsa, Talensi-Nabdam and Garu-Tempane. He said the Kassena-Nankana West district was chosen for the regional launch so as to send a signal to residents of the district that it has all it takes to meet their health needs.
The Upper East regional minister, Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo who launched the year-long TB programme under the theme “On the move against tuberculosis: innovate to accelerate action” noted that since TB first surfaced in 1882, it has been rated among the world’s deadliest diseases. Thus the launch is to raise awareness and to seek support from government and civil society in preventing and reducing deaths due to TB.
The regional minister observed that in Ghana , new TB cases have been on the rise since 1995. He added that, there has been an average on 15,000 new cases every year compared to only 5,000 in the 1980s. With particular reference to the Upper East region, 500 new TB cases are recorded each year as against only 160 new cases in the 80s.
Mr. Woyongo further noted that TB continues to be the number one killer of persons living with HIV. He said it is also regrettable that many people feel ashamed of the disease and see it as a disgrace to the family so those affected tend not to seek early treatment and rather become a source of infection to close relations. An even more worrying setback to the fight against TB is the fact that, some locals have beliefs that TB is a curse and an infliction pronounced by evil spirits.
He therefore called on all to do away with all manner of misconceptions relating to the disease saying “in this modern era nobody should allow such misconceptions to prevent them from seeking modern treatment”. Mr. Woyongo stated that on its part, government is deeply committed to ensuring that adequate and effective drugs are provided free of charge to treat TB patients.
Preceding the regional launch of the world TB day event was a match through principal streets in the Paga township by students. They carried placards some of which read: “boil cow milk before drinking, TB and HIV are bed fellows and, cover your mouth when coughing”.
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL
The Upper East Regional director of health services, Dr. John Koku Awoonor-Williams has stated that about one-third of the world’s population is affected with tuberculosis [TB]. Also, one in every 10 people will become sick with TB in their life time while if left untreated, more than 50 per cent of those affected will die from the disease.
Dr. Awoonor-Williams made this statement in an address he delivered at Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West district of the Upper East region to mark this year’s World TB Day. He said a person with active TB will on the average pass it on to between 10 and 15 other persons in a year if not treated.
According to the regional director of health, TB which is contagious and spreads through the air affects all parts of the body but TB of the lungs is the most common. The disease also affects children and adults alike with 60 per cent of reported cases being those with ages 15 to 45 years.
The health director said TB is among priority diseases receiving maximum attention from the directorate in which direction positive gains have been made. For instance, TB case detection at the end of the first quarter of 2010 has increased by 30% compared to 18% during the same period in 2009. Also, treatment success rate has hit an all time record of 85.3 per cent as against 77.0 per cent the same period in 2008.
He disclosed that five districts including municipalities did well with TB treatment success of above 85% and these include Bawku, Bongo, Builsa, Talensi-Nabdam and Garu-Tempane. He said the Kassena-Nankana West district was chosen for the regional launch so as to send a signal to residents of the district that it has all it takes to meet their health needs.
The Upper East regional minister, Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo who launched the year-long TB programme under the theme “On the move against tuberculosis: innovate to accelerate action” noted that since TB first surfaced in 1882, it has been rated among the world’s deadliest diseases. Thus the launch is to raise awareness and to seek support from government and civil society in preventing and reducing deaths due to TB.
The regional minister observed that in Ghana , new TB cases have been on the rise since 1995. He added that, there has been an average on 15,000 new cases every year compared to only 5,000 in the 1980s. With particular reference to the Upper East region, 500 new TB cases are recorded each year as against only 160 new cases in the 80s.
Mr. Woyongo further noted that TB continues to be the number one killer of persons living with HIV. He said it is also regrettable that many people feel ashamed of the disease and see it as a disgrace to the family so those affected tend not to seek early treatment and rather become a source of infection to close relations. An even more worrying setback to the fight against TB is the fact that, some locals have beliefs that TB is a curse and an infliction pronounced by evil spirits.
He therefore called on all to do away with all manner of misconceptions relating to the disease saying “in this modern era nobody should allow such misconceptions to prevent them from seeking modern treatment”. Mr. Woyongo stated that on its part, government is deeply committed to ensuring that adequate and effective drugs are provided free of charge to treat TB patients.
Preceding the regional launch of the world TB day event was a match through principal streets in the Paga township by students. They carried placards some of which read: “boil cow milk before drinking, TB and HIV are bed fellows and, cover your mouth when coughing”.
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