Goodwood clinic celebrated World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on Friday 24 March which also served as the first TB awareness day programme as an integrated healthcare facility.
City Health has hosted numerous events in the lead up to World TB Day.
This year, the global World TB Day theme is “Yes, we can end TB”.
This conveys the message to work together as a collective to end TB.
Naomi Mingo, health promotor practitioner at Goodwood Clinic, emphasised how important it is to get tested and the importance of treatments.
Treatments are free
Mingo says especially because it is free at any government health facility.
“People do not have to die due to TB, because it is curable, but only if you come for your test, get your treatment and complete it,” Mingo says.
She also spoke about the stigma associated with TB and reminded everyone that it is nothing to be ashamed of.
Henry Kabambi, HIV and TB counsellor at Goodwood Clinic, also educated the patients about the difference between HIV and TB.
Thereafter, the visitors were informed about what happens during your testing and treatment period.
Tuberculosis screening
City Health has made strides in recent years in terms of the number of persons screened for TB.
The screening increased from just over 1,7 million in 2021 to more than 1,9 million in 2022. Just under a third of all screening was in children under five years of age, who are particularly vulnerable to TB. More than 90% of people who screened positive for TB and tested positive on subsequent TB testing, started on TB treatment.
“TB remains one of our most critical health challenges, but the good news is that it can be treated, and cured,” Mayco member for community services and health, Patricia van der Ross, says.
According to van der Ross, staff can only do so much – residents should be proactive and report to their nearest clinic for screening, particularly if they had contact with someone with TB, or if they show symptoms of infection.
“It is also possible to have TB and be asymptomatic (not have symptoms), and there are plans to implement new National Department of Health (NDoH) guidelines to have a sputum test even if you don’t have symptoms if you are HIV positive, had TB previously or have been in contact with someone with TB,” says Van der Ross.
Showing love to TB patients
Dr Venter Snyman from Goodwood Clinic talked about the different types of TB one can get.
He indicated that there is medicine that can kill the TB infection. There are four different drugs combined into one medicine that you take once a day, usually 3-4 tablets.
This you take for two months and it kills off most of the TB infection.
Izuchukwu Asuzu, a resident from Goodwood who attended the TB awareness campaign, said he learned a lot. He never knew all the symptoms, but he does now.
He enjoyed the awareness campaign and will inform his friends and family.
Furthermore, the clinic staff also handed out bread to all the patients and food parcels, with pre-loved clothes to TB patients.
Before the ending of the World TB Day celebration, patients were asked to light a candle in memory of those people infected or affected by tuberculosis.
