By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu, GNA
Bolgatanga, July 19, GNA – The Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga, through its Health Promotion Unit, has advised members of the public to seek early diagnosis and strictly adhere to treatment for Tuberculosis (TB).
It stressed that the disease was preventable, treatable, and curable when properly managed.
Speaking at a routine health education session at the hospital’s Out-Patient Department (OPD), the Assistant Manager of the Chest Ward, Madam Esther Bayorle, explained that TB was an airborne infectious disease transmitted when a person with active TB coughs, sneezes, or talks, releasing bacteria into the air.
She noted that people who inhaled contaminated air, particularly those with weakened immune systems, were at a higher risk of contracting the disease.
Madam Bayorle highlighted the close link between TB and HIV, explaining that the two conditions were routinely screened together because HIV weakened the immune system, made individuals more vulnerable to TB infection.
She said patients diagnosed with TB were screened for HIV, while people living with HIV were also tested for TB, to ensure early detection and prompt treatment.
She assured the public that both TB and HIV were treatable, adding that TB treatment required a six-month course of medication provided free of charge at designated health facilities.
She emphasised that the responsibility of patients was to take their medication consistently throughout the treatment period.
“TB does not have to be a death sentence. It is curable if patients adhere to the prescribed treatment. However, failure to complete the treatment can lead to serious complications and even death,” she cautioned.
Madam Bayorle explained that patients who completed the six-month treatment were re-examined to confirm if the infection was fully cleared before they were discharged from care.
She advised the public to adopt healthy lifestyles by avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and smoking, seeking prompt medical attention when symptoms developed, and the need to follow medical advice to strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of TB.
Madam Bayorle described TB as a community health concern and urged families and communities to support people diagnosed with the disease, instead of stigmatising them.
She indicated that because TB spreads through the air, one untreated case within a household or community could easily expose many others to infection.
She encouraged residents experiencing persistent coughs or other symptoms suggestive of TB, to report to the nearest health facility for early testing and treatment, stressing that prompt diagnosis and strict adherence to medication remained the most effective ways to prevent the spread of the disease.
Madam Jemila Ayamba, the Head of the Health Promotion Unit, advised clients at the OPD to wear face masks to help prevent the transmission of airborne diseases.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/ Christabel Addo
Reporter: Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Email: [email protected]