Cape Coast, April 8, GNA- The Deputy Central Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Obodai on Tuesday, launched this year's "Tuberculosis Day" in the region at Moree in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) district of the Central Region, with a reminder that the treatment of the disease was free of charge in all health facilities in the country.

The launch observed on the theme "I'm stopping TB", was preceded by a procession of school children bearing placards some of which read, "stop tuberculosis by seeking early treatment", "support TB patients to complete their drugs" and "TB is curable, seek treatment" to create awareness in the Moree township. Mr Obodai said about 1.3 million people are exposed to the disease every year with some 500,000 of the figure recorded in Africa, while Ghana alone had 7,786 reported cases in 2006 with the Central region recording 904.

He said with the emergence of the HIV/AIDS disease, which is a "bedfellow" of TB, the disease has become alarming and was killing most AIDS patients more than any other opportunistic disease and in that regard urged all Ghanaians to join forces to fight and eliminate it in the country.

"TB together with AIDS have left many orphans and is having a toll on the socio-economic development of the nation" he stressed, adding that, eliminating the disease was possible if all would put their hands on deck by practicing good environmental hygiene.

"We have to help victims to report early and encourage those under treated to finish the full course of treatment as well as the detection of the disease by health personnel to efficiently deal with it". He said since the treatment of the disease was free there was no excuse for anybody to stay away from seeking early treatment.

Dr Mac Damien Dedzo, Deputy Regional Director of Health Services, in charge of Public Health, said an estimated 1.6 million people die from the disease globally each year, with more deaths occurring in Africa and said coughing was the most common symptom of the disease, therefore coughing for more than two weeks should be reported at a health facility.

He reminded the people that the disease was contagious and also reiterated calls on all Ghanaians to desist from unguarded coughing and indiscriminate spitting in public and stressed that if left untreated one person could infect between 10 and 15 people every year. He said in the region, only one case out of a possible 25.4 cases were detected and treated last year, and added that detection of the disease in the region was a problem since nine out of ten were not responding to treatment at the various health facilities in the region. The District Chief Executive (DCE), for AAK, Mr Job Marking said the district recorded 36 cases in 2006 of which 17 people were treated while 12 of the patients died and appealed to personnel of the Moree Health Centre to work harder to help in the early detection and treatment.

Mr Obodai together with the Omanhen of the Asebu traditional area, Okatakyie Amanfi XII, who chaired the function, commissioned a diagnostic centre for Moree.