The International Community of Women Living with HIV West Africa (ICWWA) has taken Tuberculosis (TB) awareness campaign to Koroduma, a border community between the Federal Capital Territory and Nasarawa state popularly called “One Man Village.”
The organisation said the campaign became pertinent following the prevalence of death from TB in the community. It added that the World Tuberculosis Day celebrated on April 3 annually was a good opportunity to articulate the message to the grassroots people.
National Secretary of ICWWA, Helen Aphan, during the dialogue/meeting with the community decried the prevalence of TB, stating that over 100,000 cases are recorded yearly.
She stated the need for all to take personal care seriously, adding that TB is similar to COVID-19 except for minor difference in terms of treatment. She urged mothers to ensure their babies are vaccinated at birth.
“TB is very dangerous and can kill easily like COVID-19 if not we’ll managed. Every human is born with TB and that is why newborns are given BCG at birth to kill it from onset. It is active at birth, but BCG makes it inactive,” she explained.
“It also has similar signs and symptoms like COVID-19 but for minor difference like the Direct Observation Treatment (DOT) dose which must be completed and the vaccine is available at primary health care centers.
“Random selected reports from health facilities shows that 100,000 Nigerians suffer TB yearly and those leaving in rear to reach cases are not included in this report. There is prevalence and that’s why this awareness creation is important.
“Government brings the free TB drugs but information is not there and government should do more in creating the information,” she stressed.
In her lecture, a Public Health Officer working at Auta ba leifi and New Karu primary health care centers Ebeh Stella, explained that TB is caused by bacteria that can affect the lungs, spinal cord and kidney when it penetrates the body, adding that it causes death globally especially with HIV patients.
Stella urged the community members against superstitious believe that TB is caused by cats, stressing further the need for all to be careful because not every TB patient coughs.
“The community people are not knowledgeable about TB and this can increase TB spread where there are no preventive measures for sufferers.
One major challenge in this community is the non availability of primary healthcare centres and the outstock of TB drugs.
“Government should circulate the drugs in all primary health care centers and villages and this will go a long way to reduce the disease and its spread . It should also embark on adequate sensitisation, and awareness should be priority because lots of people in one man village have died from TB,” she stated.
In his remarks, the community chief, Alhaji Maikeffi Bako, lamented that Koroduma has no primary health care except for the one built by the people themselves which doesn’t also have have health workers.
