Government has secured funds to purchase a total of 49 new digital chest x-rays for distribution to health facilities across the country, officials of the Ghana Health Service have announced.

The x-ray machines, intended to facilitate diagnosis of tuberculosis [TB] cases in the country, is being procured with a loan from the Dutch Government, which has already been approved by Parliament.

Deputy Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Gloria Quansah-Asare,observed at this year’s TB day debriefing held in Accra on Thursday that tuberculosis remains a priority disease in the country.

She said the health service is utilizing innovations to meet the challenges in ending the disease, adding “we are on a journey to end TB in Ghana by 2035 when we expect to declare an end to TB in the country”.

Dr Quansah-Asare urged all stakeholders to join forces with their skills, abilities, influences, networks, linkages and financial resources to support the National TB Control Programme to do things differently in a bid to end the disease.

Consequently, the National Tuberculosis Control Programme [NTBCP] is deploying mobile teams to communities to test individuals of the disease and also administer drugs to cure those who have contracted it.

Statistics from the NTBCP indicate 9,714 people die from TB every year, with farmers, miners, the elderly, rural communities and pregnant women being the most affected groups of people.

Dr. Nii Nortey, the Acting Programme Manager of the NTBCP, urged all Ghanaians to report any possible signs of TB, particularly consistent coughing, to the nearest health facility for the necessary tests and diagnosis.

He called on religious bodies, institutions, organizations and the ordinary Ghanaian to help support the national TB control program in eliminating the disease out of the country.