Rising TB cases worry district leaders

In Summary

Strategy. District officials have adopted schools, public places and burial ceremonies to disseminate messages on TB prevention

Budaka District leaders have expressed concern over the rising level of Tuberculosis-related cases.

A district health analysis report for 2015 reveals that 78 cases of TB were confirmed and diagnosed. “On average 65 of them were men and 13 women, but the gap is increasing. And the figure has been fluctuating from time to time,” said the district TB focal person, Mr John Kasolo. Mr Kasolo said in 2015, the district recorded 78 cases and projected indicators show that by the end of this year [2016], the figure would rise.

Mr Kasolo said from the assessment, many people are suffering because of ignorance about the symptoms of TB. He said there is urgent need to educate the communities about a wave of TB-related cases.

“We have adopted using burial ceremonies, schools and trading centres to disseminate these messages as a strategy to scale down the increase of TB. This helps them to detect the disease early and seek treatment, ”Mr Kasolo.

The district chairman, Mr Arthur Mboizi, challenged local leaders and health workers and village health teams to raise awareness among the locals so that they can have the chance to diagnose and treat TB early.

WHO STATISTICS
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2012 report, an estimated 8.6 million people become ill with Tuberculosis and 1.3 million people die every year.