TB cases soar at 9-Mile

THE 9-Mile Clinic in NCD has reported the number of tuberculosis (TB) cases continues to rise and are difficult to control despite the on going awareness to the patients and the communities which they live in.
The National visited the clinic yesterday, along with TB advocacy officers from World Vision International (WVI).
Sr Nima Derevi, who is a TB nurse at the clinic said they were detecting four cases a day from all age groups of both pulmonary TB (TB of the lungs) and extra pulmonary TB (TB affecting other organs).
From January up until February this year, the clinic recorded 74 confirmed
cases.
The disease continues to spread because people simply not practicing habits like covering their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing.
In 9-Mile, she said living conditions are poor and families are crowded in small houses which pose a high risk for the TB germ to spread very quickly if a family member is infected.
She said they were trying their best to control TB but new cases kept arising and added that the defaulter rate of TB was also rising.
Defaulter rate refers to the number of patients who have discontinued their treatment.
The National learnt that patients seen at the clinic not only came from the catchment’s areas but as far as the Central and Gulf provinces.