Today March 24th, YCFAC joins the world in commemoration of World TB Day. In 1882, Dr. Robert Koch disclosed the cause of Tuberculosis (TB). The world commemorated this day every year since then celebrating what was perceived to be the end to public suffering, rising death rates and economic depletion. One hundred and thirty-two (132) years along the road, Tuberculosis continue to claim lives, induce suffering and negatively impact socio-economic growth in developing countries. According to a report by WHO, nine (9) million people are infected with TB every year and one third (3 million) of those who get sick do not get the care they need from health systems. 1.3 million reported death cases in 2012 (WHO, 2014). That leads to concerns about health literacy and accessibility to treatment options. TB is curable and highly preventable, sad indeed to read the numbers of lives the disease continue to claim. The biggest concern affecting us all is health literacy. People need to be informed and educated about tuberculosis with particular reference to transmission because it is highly contagious. TB is an airborne disease, meaning it can be passed from one person to the other through the atmosphere. Persons with active TB in their lungs can transmit the bacteria by sneezing, coughing or spitting. A healthy individual only needs to inhale a small amount of these germs to become infected. This is one of the reasons why personal hygiene is important to disease prevention. Some basic tips on preventing the spread of TB: • Wash your hands with soap and water as frequently as possible • Cover your mouth with tissues or your elbow when you cough or sneeze or laugh • Used tissues and handkerchiefs should be properly disposed off, in plastic bags. • Do not spit openly in public • If you know someone infected with TB, do not discriminate or abandon • Encourage people to seek treatment • Be supportive during the treatment period This year’s challenge as we commemorate world TB day is to reach out to the “missed” 3 million people and help them in anyway possible to get the treatment they deserve. Everyone who has TB have the right to diagnosis, treatment and cure. There are two stages of TB, latent and active. Latent TB can be asymptomatic but treatment is required to prevent progression into active TB. According Mayo Clinic, an estimated one third of the world’s population has latent TB. Active TB is very aggressive and presents with symptoms such as Chronic cough with or without sputum Loss of appetite Unintentional weight loss Night sweats Fever Fatigue among other additional symptoms. Screening is key to prevention, know your status, encourage others to do the same, prevent the spread and support people infected during the treatment course. The fight against infectious diseases require collaborative efforts, therefore YCFAC would like to seize this opportunity to oblige us all to take responsibility in making sure everyone in our communities is informed about tuberculosis. Be it at the ghetto, the football field, video club, bar, restaurant or dance club, hair salon, shopping center, bus stop, spread the word. Tell a friend to tell a friend. Help reduce the numbers. Together we can!!!
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 01:02:50 +0000
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