Fight against TB

Tanaka Mahanya

THE nation should up tuberculosis intervention strategies to ensure that effective control measures are available.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that the Covid-19 pandemic has reversed years of global pro-gress in tackling TB.

For the first time, in over a decade, TB deaths have increased, according to the WHO’s 2021 Global TB report.

In 2020, more people died from TB compared to 2019.

In an interview with H-Metro, Stop TB Partnership Zimbabwe chairperson, Ronald Mungoyi, said the Government should scale up funds directed towards fighting TB.

“Funds should be set aside in the national budget that should only be used when there are outbreaks.

“The country should come up with specific measures to strengthen domestic funds learning from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

He said there was a need for employing up-to-date healthcare practitioners who have adequate knowledge about the disease.

“We should make sure that people are educated about TB in relation to HIV/AIDS, diabetes and Covid-19.

“Raising awareness about the disease is also an effective way of informing communities about treatment and causes of the disease,” he said.

Mungoyi said communities often stigmatise and discriminate against people with TB, and this has affected those who should be seeking treatment.

Tariro Kutadza said TB was underfunded globally.

“We need to be innovative to raise resources in the country and not rely on donor funding to sustain TB pro-grammes,” she said.