TB rife at Bumbu settlement, says clinic

THE majority of  TB patients receiving treatment at the Butibum clinic come from the Bumbu settlement.
This was revealed on Monday by TB nurse Sr Saluwa Mala when journalists visited the clinic as part of a media workshop organised by World Vision.
Sr Mala said lifestyles and attitudes were contributing factors to the spread of TB.  
She said because there was overcrowding due to an increase in population, settlement homes were built too close to each other making it possible for the spread of TB.
Sr Mala said people also refused to change their habits to live healthy lives and this has contributed to the spread of TB and other infectious diseases.
She said TB was airborne and could spread easily if patients did not get treatment fast, adding that TB was treatable and treatment was given free of charge at all health centres.
She said a TB patient only needed to develop the right attitude to be able to complete treatment.
Meanwhile, the media workshop was carried out to bring about awareness on TB so that more coverage by media organisations can be done on the subject.
Facilitator and provincial TB ACSM (advocacy, communication and social mobilisation) Stella Rumbam said media coverage was one area in which the TB prevention programme was lacking.
She said with the workshop, she hoped that the media would do its part in promoting TB awareness.
Mrs Rumbam said TB prevention awareness was also vital as TB was one of the major killers of people living with HIV (PLHIV).
She said TB was treatable with PLHIV and that was why it was important for the media to be part of the campaign and get the message disseminated to the public so that the public could know the sings and symptoms of TB and seek treatment as soon as possible.