Every 24 th of March is designated as the World Tuberculosis Day. Tuberculosis is a potentially serious infectious bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs.The bacteria that causes TB are spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It spreads easily by airborne respiratory droplets (coughs or sneezes).
Most people infected with the bacteria that cause tuberculosis don't have symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they usually include a cough(sometimes blood-tinged), weight loss, night sweats and fever.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealled that more than 500,000 people are lost in Africa to tuberculosis yearly.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, who gave the figure in a message to mark the World TB Day 2021 with the theme: “the clock is ticking”, said that this inglorious statistics is “inexcusable.”
He lamented that across Africa, the challenges in TB prevention and control are significant with only 56% of people with TB on treatment and TB control budgets continue to be drastically underfunded.
In Nigeria, the country is said to have more than 100 thousand cases per year. Again, in Nigeria however, the burden of Tuberculosis is as well staggering. This is because, Nigeria is said to be among 30 high burden counties globally and it has 6th highest T.B burden in the world and the first in Africa.
Back home, in Ogun State , the state is seen as the 19th high burden state in Nigeria. Reports says estimated number of T. B incidence in Ogun State is 11,427 out of which a little above 3,000 were successfully treated with no less than 9,000 cases not yet treated .
It is for this reasons that the Association of Medical Laboratory Technicians and Assistants of Nigeria ( AMELTAN) in Collaboration with Ogun State Tuberculosis , Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme under the Ministry of Health, Ogun State organised a sensitisation programme to mark this year's World Tuberculosis Day in tandem with the theme " The Clock is ticking ".
The Public enlightenment , sensitisation, Education , and Free Testing for TB in Ogun State was held at Keesi Building Complex , Adagba Street, Itoko Abeokuta under the Abeokuta South Local government.
The location according to the organisers was chosen based on the statistics that Abeokuta South Local Government of Ogun State still has high burden of people living with the disease.
It was meant to be a wake up call to residents of the area to quickly alert health officials of the existence of a high risk person in the area in order to take the necessary medical steps to curtail the spread of the disease.
In an address of welcome, the Chairman of (AMELTAN) in Ogun State, Comrade Elder Oguntade S. A. a.ka SAMHONEST said his Association together with the TB control agency in Ogun State under the Ministry of Health" has deemed it fit to organise the TB programme in order to propagate the gospel of reducing TB burden in the state".
He urged the people not to cover up anyone with the disease, nor harbour anyone suspected of having TB symptoms in their area, saying however that the government has put in place mechanism for people to access Tuberculosis treatment free of charge .
He extended a hand of appreciation to the Non - Governmental Organisations supporting the " End TB" campaign especially USAID, IHVN, SFH, Global Fund among others, while assuring that his Association will "continue to join hands with the partners to tackle and eradicate Tuberculosis".
The Ogun State Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme Manager , . Mrs Esther Oguntayo in a remark observed that the purpose of the exercise was to sensitise the people about Tuberculosis to stop it's spread.
" If we detect them early and place them on drugs , they will not spread it. So, if you know anyone coughing for over two weeks . If fever is present for two months and if the person sweat at night or loose weight unnecessarily, they need to go for TB test, which is free", she stated .
She further informed that Ogun State has no less than 544 Directly Observed Treatments sites for the collection of samples on T.B as well as thirteen Gene Expert sites where people can access free treatments for free.
The Chairman of the occasion, who is also the Chairman of the Ogun State Alternative Medicine Practitioners , Alhaji Nurudeen Olaleye advised people within the family to raise alarm when any members of the family is having symptoms. He also spoke about the need for early detection, while also using the opportunity to inform people that Traditional Medicine is now being reckoned with globally , calling on people who have genuine treatment for any ailment to come up with the cure in order to help humanity beat some of the major diseases plaguing the world..
Goodwill messages were given by Dr. Aluko, Apostle Akinsanya Solomon, Abeokuta MAUN Chairman, Sanitarian Afolabi , Mr Kehinde Olayiwola Ololade, among others , all of whom enjoined the people to treat any symptoms of Tuberculosis as an emergency, while enjoining them to speak out and ensure carriers of the disease in their neighbourhood access the free treatment already provided by the government .
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