The government has committed to ending Tuberculosis (TB) in line with the United Nations declaration to end the deadly disease by 2030.
Address at the Walk for TB Campaign that was hosted by the Stop TB Partnership Zimbabwe in Harare, Deputy Director, AIDS and TB Unit in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Charles Sandy said the government was committed to ending TB but they can’t go it alone.
“Today we have gathered for an event on our country’s commitment to the achievement of the United Nations High-Level Meeting (UN HLM) political declaration and commitment on Tuberculosis. In 2018, the Head of State and President of our country, His Excellency, Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa joined other world leaders in signing a commitment to end TB by 2030.
“Zimbabwe and the rest of the world is currently faced by a common risk of the COVID-19 pandemic which is threatening the quality of public health and further exposing people vulnerable to chronic non-communicable and communicable diseases to further vulnerabilities. This has further strained our already strained public health systems specifically intended to protect and harness quality of life,” said Dr Sandy.
He added that government remains conscious that TB remains the oldest infectious killing disease, killing more people than HIV and Malaria combined.
“The disease has been devastating lives for more than 100 hundred years now. As a country, we have recorded commendable milestones towards eradicating TB as evidenced by the recent removal of Zimbabwe from the World Health Organisation list of countries triple burdened by TB, TB/HIV, and MDR-TB. However, more work still needs to be done because, despite these efforts, communities at risk of TB continue to suffer hidden vulnerabilities and escalating costs due to the disease.
“Furthermore, similar to COVID-19, TB suffer the problem of misinformation which drives up stigma and discrimination, myths and misconception and fuel late health-seeking behavior. This can only be reversed and corrected by correct information coupled with innovative methods of capturing the interest of communities to TB information; A function I am happy to know is being done collaboratively with celebrities and TB Survivors who were appointed as TB Champions for Zimbabwe. I implore the Ministry of Health and Child Care and Stop TB Partnership Zimbabwe to continue working with diverse partners to enhance knowledge and awareness of T,” he said.
Zimbabwe has to date recorded commendable milestones towards eradicating TB as evidenced by the recent removal of Zimbabwe from the World Health Organisation list of countries triple burdened by TB, TB/HIV, and MDR-TB. However, more work still needs to be done because, despite these efforts, communities at risk of TB continue to suffer hidden vulnerabilities and escalating costs due to the disease.
Dr Wilson Marikopo, the Clinical Medical Officer at the City of Harare, who was standing in for the City of Harare Health Department called for more resources towards scaling up the fight against TB.
Meanwhile, speaking at the same event, Stop TB Partnership Zimbabwe Chairperson, Donald Rungoyi said there was a need to protect the health workforce against TB as they are in direct contact with patients for prolonged periods of time.
“Help me salute our healthcare workers. They are the ones who care for TB patients and in the process, expose themselves to the infections. Let’s protect our healthcare workers by all means. Let’s ensure they are motivated to work through providing incentives and all kinds of support,” said Rungoyi.
