RSG, Partners Sensitise Four LGAs On TB

Sequel to the increasing
spread of Tuberculosis disease and its adverse health effects on the people, the Rivers State Government in collaboration with development partners have organised a one-day awareness campaign rally in four local government areas of the state.
The local government areas are Khana, Okrika, Obio/Akpor and Ahoada East with the essence being to create awareness on the dangers associated with Tuberculosis and the need for regular test.
Speaking to The Tide in a telephone chat, the State Tuberculosis Programme Manager, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Kingsley Aleruchi said the awareness programme was a continuation of the one carried out in May, this year adding that it was to solidify the  earlier campaign as well as ensuring that the Tuberculosis disease was well tackled in these areas.
Aleruchi said “one of the challenges of such programme is the ability of  the community members to adhere to the issues in the campaign and continue from where we stopped and that was why the community vanguards were trained so that they can take up from where we stopped.”
He noted that awareness campaign programmes usually have rollout of activities which must all be met for the area to be  sensitized saying “the vanguards are at this stage supposed to be moving from house to house in the community, looking out for symptoms and directing them to treatment facilities and other helpful actions”.
Aleruchi stated that this second phase of the campaign in the four local government areas was aimed at completing the exercise with the local government and moving over the other areas of the state depending on the availability of funds and called on all those that have tested positive to adhere to their  routine drugs.
Speaking at the Obio/Akpor rally centre, representative of Action Health Incorporated, Mr Okparah Nwaba Meyor, urged persons suspected to be living with the disease to ensure testing for TB especially those with cough for more than two weeks and without response to regular cough drugs.
Mayor further stated that the Community Vanguards were trained in the four Local Government Areas to provide treatment support, assist suspected cases by linking them to facilities for testing and treatment for those that are positive.

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