Africa-Press – Malawi. Despite the lethal COVID-19 pandemic that has caused havoc on the global economy and overshadowed the existence of other important diseases, Malawi has still made positive strides in the fight against tuberculosis.
National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Elimination Programme (NTLEP), National TB-HIV Programme Officer, Henry Nyerere, made the remarks on Friday in Salima during media workshop.
Nyerere observes that it is very impressing to register the positive strides while encountering challenges like financial and skilled human resources and high TB-HIV confection rate.
“We are excited that all people regardless of gender class are flocking into various health facilities to be attended to, these include checking for new diagnoses, receiving treatment and having check-ups.
“One of the key aiding factors to this success is the availability of mobile vans, vibrant TB officers in the health facilities and above all sputum collecting committees which are scattered across the country,” Nyerere said.
He said following this close monitoring and evaluation system it has been established that Machinga and Rumphi have not done well in the fight against TB.
“For Rumphi the cause is improper follows and proper documentation and that saw its success rate at 76 per cent. Worrisomely in Machinga in 16 from every 100 people on TB treatment died this is a high death rate, the main contributing factor is that Machinga has the highest TB-HIV confection rate of the twenty-eight districts.
“However, treatment success rate nationally is at 89 per cent and among children treatment success is at 93 per cent which is very high, with Drug Resistance TB patients which is at above 70 per cent despite hiccups mentioned earlier.
“We are also happy with the operationalization of mobile diagnosis which has impacted positively,” he added. He added that Mwanza and Chikwawa did extremely well in the year 2020/2021 attributing the success to vibrant TB sputum collection committees.
“We need more G-expert machines in all health facilities that do not have one, I therefore call for assistance from well-wishers,” he appealed.
NTLEP’s, Deputy National Coordinator, Isaiahs Dambe, warned herbal producers against using force messages claiming that they have cure against chronic diseases like TB, HIV and AIDS, and Malaria, calling the development retrogressive towards accessing health cure.
To show its commitment, recently, through government NTLEP, mobilized K2.4billion ($3million) to be used in disaster prone districts of Nsanje, Chikwawa, Phalombe, Mulanje and Mangochi to control TB, leprosy and other diseases.
“We have made tremendous decrease of cases from 2010 where we could register 30,000 cases while by 2021, we can now register 14,000 cases which is a great achievement that even other countries cannot achieve.
“Some people have the courage to lie or give clients half-truth on TB issues. Let me emphatically say that at the moment there is no cure for TB, don’t trust these are business persons who don’t value life,” he said. National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Elimination Programme (NTLEP) staff for its commitment in dealing with TB in the country.
During World TB commemoration Day, World Health Organization’s Acting Country Representative, Janet Kayita commended Malawi for registering positive strides against TB, and realized the commitments the country is taking to end the ailment.
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