As today marks World Tuberculosis Day, with the theme ‘Yes! We can end TB!’
The theme aims to inspire hope and encourage high-level leadership, increased investments, accelerated action, and multi-sectoral collaboration to combat the TB epidemic.
In Ghana, TB remains a major public health problem, despite the progress made in combating the disease over the past years.
Speaking to the host of the Mid-Morning Lounge, Yao Mawutor Fianu, Madam Emmanuella Fafa Attah, a Senior Field Technician in Disease Control, asserted that tuberculosis can affect various parts of the human body as most people think it only affects the lungs.
For this reason, the day is used to create awareness of the transmission mode, symptoms, as well as its prevention.
Madam Attah urged the public to seek professional health care, instead of self-medicating before the ailment became severe to salvage.
Some of the symptoms of the disease include weight loss, night sweats, high temperature, tiredness, and fatigue, must signal individuals to seek immediate medical care.
As part of TB awareness creation, Madam Attah acknowledged that door-to-door screening was carried out in some parts of Takoradi today.
She emphasized that people who have had their lungs and immune systems compromised as a result of smoking and drinking alcohol are at a higher risk of contracting TB.
She further added that treatment for TB is free even without health insurance.
Author: Roberta Appiah
