Lagos trains health workers on tuberculosis

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, who declared open the training programme in Lagos last week reiterated the state government’s commitments towards controlling the spread of tuberculosis, particularly against the background of the fact that the disease constitutes serious cause of morbidity in Nigeria. “Tuberculosis was declared a global emergency 14 years ago […]

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, who declared open the training programme in Lagos last week reiterated the state government’s commitments towards controlling the spread of tuberculosis, particularly against the background of the fact that the disease constitutes serious cause of morbidity in Nigeria.

“Tuberculosis was declared a global emergency 14 years ago and it still remains so. It is one of the world leading causes of death due to an infection in sub -Saharan African. Tuberculosis causes high mortality especially in association with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Yet, tuberculosis is a curable and preventable disease,” he said.

Idris opined that the training is particularly important since the local government areas are the operational levels where most of the essential services for tuberculosis control take place, hence he charged the local governments to establish and maintain effective Directly Observed Treatment (DOTS) and Multiple Drug Treatment (MDT) services in their health facilities.

According to the commissioner, the maintenance of functional laboratory services with reagents and other materials; the mobilisation of the community members for their commitment, involvement and participation in the tuberculosis control programme; as well as the provision of reports of the operational activities in their areas to the state government were all important to the control of the high prevalence of the disease in the state, thus he called on all participants to take the lesson home.

He explained that tuberculosis was a communicable disease caused by any of several species of mycobacterium referred to as tubercle bacillus which was characterised by prolonged and persistent cough that may be associated with other symptoms and signs such as sweating at night, weight loss, chest pain, loss of appetite, coughing out of blood, difficulty in breathing and fever.

Idris noted that tuberculosis of the lungs was the most common form of the disease as well as the only form of tuberculosis that could be transmitted from person to person, stressing that the disease could also affect any other part of the human body. .

He also stressed the need for health education among the people on the need to avoid spitting indiscriminating; covering of the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing; and the eating of good and nutritious food in order to control or reduce the progression of tuberculosis from infection to disease.