Brong Ahafo marks Tuberculosis Day

Bechem (B/A), April 9, Ghanadot/GNA – Nana Kwadwo Kwakye, deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister on Tuesday called on the people in the region to unite and contribute to the fight against tuberculosis.

“The commonest curable infectious disease in the country today is tuberculosis and because it can spread through air, every individual is at risk of being infected,” he noted.

Nana Kwakye made the call in a speech read for him at the regional celebration of World Tuberculosis Day under the theme: “I am stopping TB”, at Bechem in the Tano South district.

He noted that tuberculosis was the leading killer disease across the globe.
Nana Kwakye called on society to encourage persons who continuously cough for more than two weeks to seek medical attention and condemned the stigmatization of victims of the disease.

The Deputy Regional Minister noted with regret that about 60-70 percent of the economically productive age group was affected by the disease, noting that a sick working population as a result of TB infection would certainly further increase poverty.

Nana Kwakye disclosed that 12,863 TB patients were put on treatment nationwide last year including 654 cases from the Brong-Ahafo region out of which Tano South district reported 38 cases.

He commended the Ghana Health Service, NGOs, civil society, the media and public-spirited individuals for their interest in the fight against the disease.

Dr Mohammed Bin Ibrahim, Regional Director of Health Services, said currently 17 hospitals had been made diagnostic centres for TB and advised the public to encourage patients to seek early medical attention at the nearest health centres.

He said at the end of 2007, Brong Ahafo recorded a cure rate of 58.4 percent, death rate of 12.7 percent, defaulter rate of 10.8 percent, failure rate of 4.4 percent and transfer rate of 1.4 percent.

Dr Ibrahim mentioned poor documentation, low case detection, inadequate health promotional activities and lack of operational research as major challenges facing the fight against the disease in the region.

He gave the assurance that the regional health directorate would continue to support the district and municipal health directorates as well as hospitals and health centres to promote and ensure the scaling up of effective TB control interventions.

“This will help reduce suffering and death from an old, prevailing disease that is curable,” he said.

GNA