PLWHA learn to check for TB

A WORKSHOP aimed at teaching People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to recognise and provide treatment for tuberculosis (TB) amongst themselves was conducted in Lae, Morobe on Monday.
The one-day workshop was facilitated by Stella Rumbam from World Vision.
She said 19 participants from the Morobe Networking of Positive Living attended to learn ways in which they could identify TB amongst themselves, their families, relatives and communities.
She said PLWHA were considered a marginalised group and the training could help them do awareness and also provide direct observatory treatment (DOT) to other TB patients better.
She said training them and the  public would help the fight against TB and HIV in the province because there was a link between HIV and TB.
Rumbam said World Vision decided to train them because people living with HIV had 50% chances of developing TB, which would most likely kill them.
She said she wanted PLWHA to be equipped with the knowledge on TB so testing for TB and HIV could be conducted.
She said that the training was important for PLWHA and others who live with them because, unlike HIV, TB was curable.
However, Rumbam said TB could also kill if not recognised on those affected and treated quickly.