Kaduna records 4,023 new TB cases
http://www.hrlnews.com/2019/03/kaduna-records-4023-new-tb-cases.html
A
total of 4,023 new cases of tuberculosis were recorded across
Kaduna State in 2018, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Paul Dogo,
has said.
Dogo however said
at a news conference on Tuesday in Kaduna to mark the World Tuberculosis
Day 87 per cent of the new cases were treatment successfully.
He attributed the
high number of new TB infections to low level awareness of its causes
and insufficient gene Xpert machines used for detecting the disease in
the state.
Dogo said that the
state would scale up access to prevention and treatment, build
accountability and ensure sufficient and sustainable financing for TB
treatment and research.
“We hope to
promote an end to the stigma and discriminations, and promote an
equitable rights-based and people-centered TB response,” he said.
The commissioner
said the state would sustain its house-to-house search for new active
cases of tuberculosis to raise the detection rate in the state.
According to him,
the state government will increase the number of Gene Xpert machines
from 11 to 23 and strengthen its tuberculosis surveillance department to
track all cases.
He added that the
government would make it mandatory for all private health care
providers to report tuberculosis cases and improve the participation of
the media in raising awareness on tuberculosis and leprosy.
“Currently, there
are 444 health centres carrying out the TB control and treatment
activities in the state and we urge the residents to visit any of the
health centres.”
The commissioner
explained that testing and treatment of TB was free and urged those
having running cough for two weeks to go for test in any of the health
centres.
In his comments,
the Director, Public Health, Dr Ado Zakari urged the state government to
scale up its awareness programmes as many residents are not aware that
the disease was curable.
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