adminRobin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
TUBERCULOSIS still remains a challenge for Zimbabwe’s health care sector despite it being preventable and curable, an official has said.
Deputy director Aids and TB unit in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Charles Sandy said the biggest problem was ignorance from the people.
“TB is a preventable and curable disease but it remains a challenge due largely to ignorance from the communities.
“The media has to rescue the Government and improve on information dissemination by being front runners,” he said.
Dr Sandy said dissemination of correct information was vital in ensuring that the public is aware about the basic facts concerning TB.
He said information dissemination, if done accurately by all responsible stakeholders, can help end TB by 2030.
An official with the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+), Mr Dadirayi Manyarara said there are various types of stigma that affect people infected with HIV and TB that are a challenge to treatment.
“Self stigma/internalised stigma leads to self blame and self judgment, reduced self esteem which has damaging effects on the mental well-being of people living with HIV and TB which breaks down confidence to seek medical treatment,” she said.
Health care stigma is another form where mandatory testing without consent from a patient is done and there is judgment of the patients by health care workers, violation of confidentiality of patients, attitudes towards PLHIV and TB.
She added: “Employment stigma is when employees are subjected to social ridicule, refusal of employment while community and household stigma is rejection by family members, isolation and judgment by family members, church members etc.”
Zimbabwe has, however, made strides in screening people with TB and Drug Resistant TB. Zimbabwe has managed to make strides in the diagnosis and treatment of TB and have managed to ensure that hospitals are well equipped.
derick.khumalo