News
Institute Advises Early Tests For TB
People should go for early test as part of efforts to effectively control tuberculosis in Nigeria as well as to curtail TB drug resistance, a virologist has advised.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Human Virology, Dr Astrid Dakum made the call in Abuja recently.
He stated that although early detection of the disease was important, consistent use of prescribed drugs by patients was equally necessary.
“ The first thing for the purpose of the public is to just screen yourself.
“And it’s easy to go to any primary health care centre if you have any cough; if you have any relation that is coughing even if he says it’s just catarrh, go and just have your sputum checked; do routine chest x-rays.
“If we get community TB prevention taking place, by identifying positive cases and putting them on treatment, we will be going a long way.
“The Institute of Human Virology is involved at all of those levels; one is at the community level trying to ensure that community TB prevention is taking place; aeration for houses; ensuring that index cases are treated; referring people to go to primary health care centres for simple TB screening.
“Then at the higher facilities, we have even provided mobile x-ray machines to a number of facilities to enable them go into the community and then carry out intensive case finding.
Dakum emphasised that the community must also play a major role in fighting TB.
To fight drug resistance by tuberculosis, Dakum said that identified cases must thoroughly be treated while treatment must be completed.
He pointed out that Nigeria had just completed a survey of TB drug resistance and the result would soon be presented by the National TB Control Programme.
Dakum noted that the institute was also collaborating with the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme and some stakeholders on the need to detect what is responsible for the virus.
He said that TB was a very active infection, pointing out that if drug resistant TB was not addressed, then treatment would be too expensive, while mortality rate could increase.
News
HoS Hails Fubara Over Provision of Accommodation for Permanent Secretaries
News
Allegation of Disrespect to President Tinubu Unfounded — Rivers Government
News
Rivers Government Dismisses Allegations of Disrespect to President Tinubu
