Health workers trained to fight TB

National

More than 20 health workers in Hela will undergo TB training in October as part of efforts by Oil Search Foundation and its partners to reduce the spread of the disease in the province.
The health workers will be given training on directly observed treatment, short-course, which will enable them to be at the frontline of the fight against TB in Hela.
OSF has also purchased four microscopes for the TB programme and will put them to use around the province following another training planned for November.
These trainings and other initiatives by OSF over the past two years are part of the commitment from many partners, including the Government to fight TB. This partnership was strengthened with the signing of a ‘wide-ranging health services’ agreement between the Hela Provincial Health
Authority (HPHA) and OSF earlier this year.
OSF deputy director, Kymberley Kepore said the foundation always worked within existing government systems while continuously building on stakeholder relationships to enhance health service delivery, and would continue to work with its partners with the long term goal of stopping the spread of TB in the province.
A 2014 national TB programme report showed that prior to 2016, Hela’s response to TB was not achieving the desired impact. At the request of the HPHA, OSF initiated programme-based support to improve TB service delivery at the hospital. Through the programme OSF medical officers are working with staff and aligning with the Health Department’s policies.