Leadership (Abuja)
Babangida Kakaki
19 June 2008
Kaduna — Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Dr Yari Everton Peter, has disclosed that about 1,200 cases of tuberculosis have so far been detected in the first quarter of 2008 across the state.
He said as a result, all the patients have been placed under directly observed short course treatment (DOTS).
The Commissioner who made the revelation at the weekend during the commemoration of World Tuberculosis Day with the theme, 'You Can Stop Tuberculosis' further admitted that tuberculosis infection which seemed to have disappeared all over the world in the past, has now returned since early 90s infecting millions of people globally. "It's one of the global public health problems now".
It is in line with this administration's feats in the health sector, that the state administration established the state tuberculosis and leprosy control programme in 1997 after signing an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Netherlands Leprosy Relief to provide essential services and drugs to stop the disease in the state.
"We have signed a memorandum of understanding with Netherlands Leprosy Relief in 1997 to provide free microscopy test and drugs for eight months treatment, engaged in active case finding in the communities and created awareness to the public on the free tuberculosis services.
"The state's effort at eradicating the disease is yielding positive results as tuberculosis case finding is good. In the first quarter of 2008, 1, 113 patients were detected. The state started active DOTS services in 1998 with three centres in Zaria, Kaduna and Kafanchan. This has however increased to 104 centres spread across all the 23 local government in the state. We also have over 20 private health facilities in the state administering DOTS".
Dr Everton then said that based on the success of the initial MOU, the state government will sign another one for the next five years (2008 - 2012) very soon, and therefore advised that tuberculosis contrary to some perception is a treatable disease.
He noted that anybody who suffers persistent cough with sputum for more than three weeks with or without fever, anorexia, night sweats or weight loss should immediately go to a tuberculosis centre for tests.
In his speech at the event, the Country Director of International Centre for AIDS Care and Treatment Programme (ICAP), Dr Emmanuel Toure, who was represented at the occasion, said tuberculosis has been found to be one of the highest killer of people living with AIDS, because it equally destroys the immune systems in the blood cells.
"People living with HIV/AIDS are always advised to undergo tuberculosis test, while those with tuberculosis are advised to take HIV/AIDS test, as both diseases are found to have something in common in recent times".
Toure then advised tuberculosis patients to ensure completing their treatment at all times, to ensure that they have eradicated the germ from their systems completely. He noted that incomplete treatment of tuberculosis leads to resistance from the germs.
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