Health facilities recently celebrated World TB Day by aiming to create more awareness.
This year, there is a call to action for South Africans to invest in various actions to contribute towards the national efforts to end TB.
TB/HIV Care partnered with Mamre Community Day Centre and hosted multiple outreaches in their area, doing sputum blitzes and awareness raising. Referrals were then made to the clinic or Wesfleur Hospital for clients in need of further treatment. The focus of the outreach was to access the most vulnerable and at risk. In this regard our teams planned outreaches in the community as well as in their facility and these were well supported.
Yvette Andrews, Community Based Supervisor for the Western Health District shares, “Following a two-year period where the predominant focus has been on Covid-19, people were keen to hear information pertaining to other chronic diseases of lifestyle and be screened for TB.”
These events are all part of a collective effort to support the “The Global End TB Strategy” by Raising Public awareness and to remind the public that TB is still a global public emergency.
“We need to scale-up and implement strategies to STOP TB, by Preventing the spread of TB,” explains Yolanda Cottee, Deputy Director for the HIV/AIDS, STD & TB programme.
“Open windows, ensure well ventilated areas, fast track TB diagnosis and Treatment, Care and support.
“It is important that we find the missing TB cases in our area. Social and economic issues, such as unemployment, insufficient housing and ventilation, all contribute to the spread of TB. With unemployment rates being very high, more clients are at home sharing small spaces with poor ventilation. Drug abuse is a major challenge as well, as clients who have previously been diagnosed with TB and placed on treatment will default due to these other social issues. We are therefore implementing new plans in our facilities to ensure all clients are screened as they enter the facility. This is because patients may not even be aware that they have TB.”
One such client is Walleed Prins (36) a recovering patient admitted to the DP Marais Hospital. A father of one, and the youngest of four siblings, he said he had contracted TB from his partner. “I didn’t know what TB was, my partner was starting to get thin. She didn’t want to go to the clinic. I encouraged her to go to the hospital. Eventually I got sick.”
Prins said he ended up suffering worse symptoms than his partner, because he has been HIV positive for the past 10 years. “One day I collapsed and awoke at Groote Schuur Hospital.”
He was diagnosed with stomach TB and experienced night sweats and could not sleep at night, loss of appetite, struggling to breathe.
“I found out that not only had I contracted TB, but also Covid-19. It was very scary for me, I felt I wanted to jump out the window. But when one of the doctors came to speak to me, and explained what was happening to me it made me feel better. We discussed it, and the doctor explained the best course of action would be referral to DP Marais Hospital.”
To date, Prins has finished four months of a six-month programme due his TB diagnosis and medication requirements. He shares he has learnt so much about TB since being diagnosed.
“TB is curable, and it is important to use one’s medication. I will admit, at first, I used to hide my tablets. That’s because I honestly did not know much about TB at all. In time, though, I could see for myself when I was not taking it my condition never improved. Now I am almost done with the programme, and am excited to finish.”
Clients wishing to screen themselves must take the following steps: . Save the number 0600123 456 as a contact “NDoH” on WhatsApp. Send the Word “TB” to the WhatsApp number and follow the prompts to complete the TB HealthCheck. . Once you have completed the TB HealhCheck you will receive guidance on what to do next based on your level of risk.
It is important that if anyone presents with any of the following symptoms, please access your nearest health facility for further help and treatment:. Cough for more than two weeks or any duration if you are HIV positive. Persistent Fever for more than four weeks. Unexplained weight loss of more than 1,5 kg in the last month or loss of appetite.. Drenching night sweats
If you have any of the above symptoms please access your nearest health facility. These are upscaling and improving access to services, counselling support and treatment. Let us all improve infection prevention control measures at home and in our health facilities!
Prins wishes to encourage others and shares, “My message whoever gets TB, is to say its is curable. Any of us can contract TB. Your medication is very important. Its not something you need to die from, there are places like day hospitals you can go to for help, which is so important.
“If you have TB and go to hospital for treatment, remain compliant with your prescription and it is curable. I took 27 tablets and am taking seven now; you will get through it!”
