Tuberculosis (TB) control officer at the Blantyre District Health Office (DHO) Lackson Namuku Gama has said Blantyre has registered 1,213 TB cases from January up to July this year compared to the same period in 2022.
In an interview with Angaliba Gama said the increase of TB cases was due to a high burden HIV and inadequate supply of resources such as gene expert cartilage in most of the health facilities apart from lack of public awareness on TB prevention, screening and treatment.
“TB prevalence is high in Malawi more especially in Blantyre because the the district has high HIV cases and once a person is tested HIV positive, chances of suffering from TB are high,” he said
Data at Blantyre DHO shows, 1,066 cases of TB were registered between January to July in 2022.
Gama said the council hosts community TB awareness rallies and door to door TB screening as some interventions in dealing with TB
Deputy Programme Manager for National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Elimination, Dr Kuzani Mbendera said most TB cases are found in men than women.
He disclosed that Blantyre district registers second highest cases of TB in the country every year more especially in the citys high density areas.
“As National TB and Leprosy Elimination Programme, we have introduced an on-going initiative known as Active Case Finding whereby we have deployed volunteers to help people suffering from TB, provision of digital X-ray, laboratory diagnostics as some ways of dealing with tuberculosis,” said Mbendera.
Health expert, George Jobe said there is a need to use traditional means of communication to the public to raise TB awareness to ensure the majority population is aware of TB prevention and treatment apart from the government banning smoking in public places.
Reported by Alex Splendor Ngulube