Regional hospital raises TB awareness
The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.
Port Shepstone Regional Hospital‘s HIV/Aids, Sexually Transmitted Infections and TB (HAST) unit recently mobilised all its resources to raise awareness, and to remind everyone that TB is a preventable and curable disease.
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is commemorated on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of the disease.
This year’s theme was ‘Invest to end TB. Save lives’.
The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.
To mark the day, the hospital’s clinical team comprised of nurses, doctors and private partners from the HAST unit engaged with patients who were waiting to get their files from the patient administration unit at the hospital.
Dr Ziyanda Adonis, clinical manager for HAST services shared information on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and preventative measures of TB.
“Anyone can get TB, but those at greatest risk are people who have compromised immune systems due to HIV/Aids and other chronic illnesses such as cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, heart conditions, pregnant women and people who have spent some time with TB sufferers who are not on treatment.”
During the month, the team conducted a number of outreach campaigns, focusing on screening and giving health education to casual workers in factories around Port Shepstone.
“TB remains one of the deadliest infectious killers in our district. We note with great concern that the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted focus away from TB, and hence we saw patients defaulting on treatment, reversing the years of progress made in the fight to end it,” added Dr Adonis.
“People should continue washing their hands, open windows in their homes and in public areas and cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing as TB is an airborne disease. In doing so, we hope we will all save more lives, and accelerate the end of the TB epidemic.”
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