Participants at a one day Tuberculosis (TB) control and prevention workshop in Tubmanburg, Bomi County have pledged their support for the prevention of the disease in Liberia.

The citizens mainly from Western Liberia; Bomi, Cape Mount and Gbapolu Counties vowed to disseminate and educate their local communities on the danger and prevention of TB in the various counties.

Speaking to our reporter over the weekend in Tubmanburg, the participants promised to sensitize their communities on discriminating among people living with TB and Leprosy. The citizens however promised to work along with the National Leprosy and Tuberculosis Control Program (NLTCP) in spreading TB massage throughout Liberia.

'Tuberculosis or TB is an infectious disease that affects mainly the lungs and other parts of the body. It is a sickness that can be cured once you take the treatment regularly and on time until you complete,' a medical practitioner advised.

Recently, the National Leprosy Tuberculosis Control Program (NLTCP) in its report revealed that the rate of all form of TB is 331 per 100,000 persons. Meaning the smear positive is 147 per 100.00. The report also revealed out of 1, 092 TB patients tested for HIV, 147 were tested positive.

For her part, the Deputy Program Manager Deddeh Barr Kesseley called on citizens to fight against the TB disease. She also called on TB patients to continue taking the prescribed treatment by going to the nearest clinic or hospital to get the TB treatment free of charge.

Madam Kesseley also called on political leaders to provide the necessary support for the successful implementation of the TB program.

Madam Kesseley however called on citizens to help in the prevention of the disease by covering their nose and mouth whenever they cough or sneeze. She added that thousands of TB germs are spread into the air when a TB patient coughs or sneezes; thereby causing anyone coming in contact with the virus to contract the TB disease.