Two-year campaign heightened to end TB |24 March 2017

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day will be commemorated tomorrow (on March 24, 2017). In line with this year’s theme “UNITE TO END TB” Leave No One Behind, the Ministry of Health is intensifying its sensitisation campaign to inform and educate the public on the disease.

A half-day workshop was held yesterday at the Sheikh Khalifa Conference room to update and strengthen the capacity of health care professionals on the latest development on the detection, prevention, care and control of tuberculosis.

Simultaneously, various educational sessions were conducted in institutions across the country and the Centre for Disease Control Unit (CDCU) to address stigma, discrimination, marginalisation and way to overcome barriers in access to care.

TB is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and it is spread from one person to another by air droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, spits or talks.

The disease has been recorded as one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide and is deemed a leading killer of HIV positive people.

In 2015, an estimated 480,000 people developed multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) across the globe. Up till now no case of multi-drug resistant TB has been recorded in Seychelles.

The Ministry of Health infers some guidelines to further prevent the spread of TB. It is important to:

• Go to your doctor as soon as you notice the symptoms;

• Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing and dispose used tissues correctly;

• Do not spit on the floor or in public places;

• Wash your hands frequently, especially after touching public installations such as public phones, door handles, rails etc.;

• Avoid sharing utensils such as cutleries, plates, mugs or glasses;

• Take your treatment regularly as advised by your doctor;

• Eat a healthy balanced diet consisting of plenty of fruits and vegetables;

• Avoid alcohol because it reduces the body’s ability to fight infection;

• Keep your environment clean;

• Get plenty of sunshine and ensure that your room is well ventilated.