With six years towards the realization of the Global Plan to End tuberculosis (TB) by 2030, misconceptions and stigma remain obstacles for Malawi to achieve the desired goal.
As Malawi joins the rest of the world in commemorating the World TB Day, secretary for health Dr. Samson Mndolo said there are a lot of misconceptions and stigma associated with TB due to lack of awareness about the disease which threatens to derail efforts to eradicate the menace.
The country will do the commemoration together with World Leprosy commemoration, which is commemorated in the fourth week of January every year.
“Every year, therefore, the world commemorates the World TB Day to build public awareness about tuberculosis as well as to recommit to the fight against the disease that has claimed a lot of lives since its discovery in 1882.
“With only 6 years to go before the year 2030, this year is critical as we have to really make huge steps towards ending TB. The government is committed to meeting the expectations of its people by implementing the “World Health Organization (WHO) End TB Strategy” which calls for a significant reduction in tuberculosis deaths, new tuberculosis cases as well as that no affected families face catastrophic costs due to tuberculosis.
“The country is investing heavily in the field of human resource for health, diagnostics, infrastructure, drugs, and supplies as well as developing and strengthening sustainable systems to support the fight against TB.
“We, therefore, want to make an appeal to all leaders across the country to reach out to our communities to engage them in the fight against TB; to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of TB; to innovate and reduce the barriers communities face to access TB and other health services. The public has a critical role to play by seeking medical care early when they experience any of the following signs and symptoms: cough, fever, weight loss (or failure to gain weight in children), and night sweats.
“Through early identification and treatment of TB patients, we can prevent further spread of TB and accelerate progress towards achievement of the national and global aspirations of ending TB,” reads part of the statement released on Tuesday
The theme for the World TB Day commemoration this year is: “Yes We Can End TB! You can make history; End TB” while for Leprosy is “Beat Leprosy”.
Mndolo said the TB theme calls for all stakeholders to take part in the fight against the epidemic.
“It calls for everyone – political leaders, civil society, donors, researchers, TB communities, the private sector, and most importantly, each one of us – to take this message one step further by saying what each of us is doing to help ‘End TB’ and challenging those in power to do the same.
“The leprosy theme encapsulates the dual objectives of eradicating stigma associated with leprosy and to promote the dignity of people affected by the scourge,” he said
TB remains a global public health threat, killing more people globally than any other infectious disease. Each day, nearly 4500 people lose their lives to TB and close to 30 000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease.
According to the Malawi Tuberculosis prevalence survey conducted in 2014, Malawi has a prevalence of 334 per 100,000 populations. The survey also revealed that more men are affected than women and that the burden is higher in urban than in rural areas.
The national event to commemorate the World TB Day and World Leprosy Day this year will be held at Khaya Primary School Ground in Mulanje District on Sunday, March 24.
