Public urged
to take preventable measures to curb outbreak of
Tuberculosis
Accra, March 18, ghanadot/GNA – The public have
been advised to take preventive and pro-active
personal health measures to check the spread of
tuberculosis (TB) in the society.
Ms Dora Lotsu, Principal Nursing Officer (Public
Health) of the Korle Bu Chest Clinic gave the
advice at the celebration of this year’s World
TB Day organized by the Clinic in conjunction
with Global Alliance and the Ministry of Health.
She said there was the need for members of the
public to lead life styles that will not help
spread the TB disease and suggested that all
should endeavour to cover their mouths whenever
they coughed.
The Day which was on the theme: ‘I’m stopping
TB’ saw the nurses and other staff of the Chest
clinic going on a float along the main roads of
the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and education
talks and interaction with patients and the
public at the various Out-Patients Departments.
The health personnel carried placards some of
which read, “I’m stopping TB now”, “We’re all at
risk”, “TB is Curable”, TB can kill” and “Join
the fight against TB and HIV”.
Ms. Lotsu stressed that TB is curable, provided
one reports any early traces of cough and
completes the full treatment, adding that, the
treatment is free and so the public should feel
free to report at the clinics for treatment.
She also advised that anybody who coughs for
about two weeks without stopping to quickly
report to the nearest health facility for a
check-up and treatment.
Ms. Lotsu said the public and private sector
have been of tremendous help towards the
prevention of TB but much still needed to be
done by the public to stop its spread since a
lot of measures such as the Directively Observed
Treatment (DOT) and supplementary efforts of
health personnel has gone a long way in checking
treatment and drug usage.
Chief Austin Obiefuna, Director of Global
Alliance told the Ghana News Agency after the
event that, TB is a devastating problem in the
society that calls for the total involvement of
all to stop its spread.
He said the issue of TB is growing daily with
the advent of HIV/AIDS and so its control and
eradication should not be left solely to health
personnel to tackle.
Chief Obiefuna said: “We don’t want to live with
TB, we want it to go and so all should get
involved in its eradication. TB is not HIV and
so those with TB should go for treatment and
seek counselling”.
GNA
