By Oluwayemi Davidson, Warri
Tuberculosis has been identified as the number one killer disease, that even kills more compared to COVID-19, Malaria, HIV/AIDS or any other killer disease known in Nigeria.
The Programme Manager, Delta State Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (STBLCP), Dr Alexander Akpodiete, gave this hint at a one-day Tuberculosis Training for Media Health Reporters held in Asaba.
According to him, available health data for the Delta State in 2019 alone, had revealed that over 50,000 persons have died of TB infection.
As part of measures to reduce the high rate of tuberculosis infection and deaths in the Delta State, he tasked journalists to help raise awareness on the early identification and diagnoses of the disease and its treatment.
He said, “The problem of TB is very huge because the rate of infection has been very high while efforts at identifying the disease in the state have been very poor.
The disease is spreading like wildfire because a carrier yet to commence TB treatment regime has the capacity to infect 15 persons within a year.
“The major stakeholders who can help check this ugly tide is the Journalist who as shapers of opinion can help raise the awareness by sensitizing citizens on the danger of the disease and how to reduce its spread and save lives”.
Dr. Akpodiete explained that the most common symptom of TB was persistent cough lasting for more than two weeks, including other symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, chest pain, coughing out blood, and night sweating, among others.
He said that the good news was that TB is curable with the caveat that early detection and commencement of treatment be early enough.
He urged that with the cost of testing and medications for the disease being free even in private hospitals where only payment for card is made, people should take advantage and save themselves and loved ones from the scourge of the disease.
The programme manager said that currently, the state could boost of 10 Gene Xpert machines used for the testing of the disease with four more machines in the process of being added to the number.
He added that Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) clinics which is a diagnostic and therapeutic unit that caters for patients diagnosed with or suspected to have TB, were available in all government and general hospitals in the state.
The participants received lectures through Zoom application where resource persons such as Mrs Itohowo Uko, Director, Advocacy and Social Mobilization Programme and other officers from the National Office took turns to lecture the participants.
Highlights of the training were the interactive session where questions were asked by the participants and answers given by the resource persons and the pledge by the media personnel to support the TB control programme through increased sensitization efforts.