Rukaya Hamid on TB Awareness & Sensitization to mark World TB Day

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TUBERCULOSIS is a public health problem and according to the MoH, National Tuberculosis Control program (NTCP) which was launched in 1994 aims at reducing the transmission of the disease to a level that is no longer a major public health problem and emphasized that tuberculosis has been and still is one of the leading causes of death in our country meanwhile it is curable and preventable. In 1993 the WHO declared tuberculosis a global emergency.


Rukaya Hamid is a student at the Tamale community health nurse school. The 22yr old is in her final year at the Tamale Nursing Community Training School and usually spends her leisure time educating children at the funky readwrite clinic on basic health practices. 






Rukaya Hamid also once in a while is a guest on radio interviews and programs concerning health issues. As part of the world TB day, the young community nurse throws more light into the awareness and Sensitization of Tuberculosis.




Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called "mycobacterium tuberculosis ".There are two main types of tuberculosis thus tuberculosis which affects the lungs known as pulmonary tuberculosis whiles tuberculosis that affects other parts of the body such as spine(bones),joints, lymph nodes, skin, kidney and brain is referred to as "extra pulmonary tuberculosis "


For TB infection to develop TB disease, the infected person's immune system must be weakened by the following factors which are known to reduce resistance :
  • Young age, especially the 1st year of life
  • Pregnancy
  • Malnutrition
  • Substance abuse
  • HIV infection
  • Occupations or environments that damage the lungs (mining, dust, smoke)
  • Other risk factors include environmental factors. Eg
  • Overcrowding
  • Excessive intake of alcohol
  • Consumption of unpasteurized milk
  • Poor ventilation
  • Poor socio-economic status
  • Lack of/unsuccesful BCG immunization


HOW TB IS SPREAD

1.Commonly spread from one person (infected) to another person (uninfected) when the infected person coughs, sneezes or spit without covering the mouth or nose and uninfected person inhale the droplets containing the germs, they
 become infected with TB
2.The use of contaminated articles like handkerchiefs and face towel also facilitates the spread of TB
3.Ingestion of unpasteurized milk from an infected cow is also one of the ways through which TB can spread

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF TB
  1. Prolonged cough for about two weeks or more
  2. Profuse night sweats
  3.  Chest pain due to the prolonged cough
  4. Enlargement of the lymph nodes
  5. Fatigue with a little work done
  6. Loss of weight due to loss of appetite
  7. Difficulty in breathing
  8. Hoarseness of voice during breathing
  9. Fever-the rise in body temperature


COMPLICATIONS OF TB...    TB if not treated early will lead to:
  1. Coughing out blood
  2. Lung cancer as a result of the organism discharging toxins in the lung leading to sores 
  3. Loss of body fluids due to vomiting
  4. The person becomes malnourished due to loss of appetite
  5. Total destruction of the lungs may lead to death


PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF TB


  1. Babies should be exclusively breastfed and properly introduced to complementary feeding after 6months To Help build strong immunity
  2. Immunization of children at birth against TB
  3. Health education on the disease to dispel rumours and reduce stigma
  4. Reporting early to the hospital or clinic when you cough for two weeks or more for appropriate investigation and possible  prompt treatment to prevent complications
  5. All infected people should be treated at the health facility according to the WHO recommended treatment strategy
  6. We should eat nutritious foods to boost our immunity to fight all kinds of diseases including TB

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