Venancio Okello, the Omoro District Health Educator says health Workers in the various Sub-counties collected more than 2,000 sputum samples during the campaign but the majority of samples are yet to be tested for TB.
Omoro
District Health Department is stuck with thousands of sputum samples collected
from locals for Tuberculosis (TB) tests due to the shortage of Genexpert
machines.
Genexpert Machines are used for detecting the presence of TB bacteria on sputum
samples collected from suspected TB patients.
The district
recently embarked on a one-week TB awareness campaign and collection of sputum
samples from the community ahead of today’s World TB day.
Venancio Okello, the Omoro District Health Educator says health Workers in the
various Sub-counties collected more than 2,000 sputum samples during the
campaign but the majority of samples are yet to be tested for TB.
Okello says only 165 samples have been tested for TB at Lalogi Health Center IV
out of which four samples turned out positive for the bacterial infection. He notes that inadequate Genexpert machines
for TB diagnosis have hindered speedy tests for samples collected.
Okello says they initially had three Genexpert Machines at Lalogi Health Center
IV but two broke down leaving them with only one machine which is only able to
run tests for three samples in one hour.
“Our biggest
problem is the gene expert machine; we are unable to test samples as fast as we
should have done. We appeal to any well-wisher to support us with new Genexpert
machines to aid the testing of samples for TB,” He says.
He reveals
that they have now resorted to taking some of the samples to neighboring
facilities in Nwoya and Gulu city for testing.
Omoro District currently has 96 active cases of TB with 64 enrolled on
treatment between October and December last year and another 34 cases between
January and March this year.
In Gulu District, the prevalence of TB according to Health officials has
slightly decreased in the last year.
William
Onyai, the Gulu District Health Educator says that 228 people were enrolled on
TB treatment by last year, slightly lower than the annual projection of 245.
He notes that 159 cases of TB were confirmed from Laboratory while 57 were
diagnosed through clinical methods and two cases were Extra Pulmonary Tuberculosis
found in body organs other than the lungs.
//cue in: “in the year…
Cue out…to
record 245,”//
Onyai
appeals to community members to visit health facilities for tests in case they
are experiencing persistent cough, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss.
//cue in: “my appeal to…
Cue out…take
their medication.”//
On the World
TB days observed on March 24 annually, World Health Organization (WHO) called
for an urgent investment of resources, support, care, and information into the
fight against TB.
According to
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, urgent investments are
needed to develop and expand access to the most innovative services and tools
to prevent, detect and treat TB that could save millions of lives each year.
“These
investments offer huge returns for countries and donors, in averted health care
costs and increased productivity,” said Dr. Ghebreyesus in a statement released
by WHO Monday.
TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers according to
WHO. Each day, over 4 100 people lose their lives to TB, and close to 30,
000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease.
In Uganda, an estimated 88,000 people fell ill
with TB, and an estimated 15,600 people died in 2019 alone.
