Health News of Tuesday, 1 June 2010

Source: GNA

TB is a killer disease among adults - NGO Director

Bole (N/R), May 31, GNA - Mr John Tomah, Executive Director of Care for Deprived Communities (CDC), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) operati ng in the Northern Region, has noted that Tuberculosis (TB) disease is one o f the most deadly killer diseases among adults in the Region.

Mr Tomah said TB though it kills, was curable and advised the people to take precautionary measures to help stop its spread and also to report to

the nearest health post for a check up in the case of persistent over a l ong period of time.

He was addressing stakeholders and church leaders, traditional leade rs, queenmothers and opinion leaders at a one-day sensitisation workshop organised by CDC and sponsored by Global Fund through the National TB Control Programme.

The Executive Director said as part of his NGO's vision in health delivery, it was collaborating with the Ghana Health Service and that in 2007, about 250 health volunteers in various communities were trained to support the limited number of health personnel in the Bole District to he lp educate the people about the dangers and effects of TB and the need to prevent its spread.

The workshop which also aimed at imparting new skills to the volunte ers to improve upon their performances, brought together some health workers from the district health hospital who took turns to address the volunteer s and participants on the need to help prevent the spread of the disease in

the district. A Senior Nurse at the Bole District Hospital, Madam Kadari Rahatu, outlined the causes and treatment of the diseases and urged participants to help the Ghana Health Service to intensify the campaign to help prevent t he spread of TB. Madam Kadari added that TB was a curable disease and that its treatm ent was free for all. She also advised the people to seek medical attention early to avoid complication.