On March 22, Sub District D TB and HIV coordinators held an event to raise awareness about TB/HIV as a build-up towards World Stop TB Day at Senaoane Boxer shopping complex.
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The purpose of the event was to remind residents that TB is still affecting our communities and it is curable.
Operational Manager for TB for local clinics, Nombulelo Ndimeni said, “The event was held to target Senaoane, Phiri, Chiawelo and Dlamini residents as they utilize that shopping centre. The venue was chosen because the two health facilities serving these communities are highly burdened with TB.”
TB is a curable infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs but can attack any part of the body.
The bacteria that cause TB is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes and the disease can spread from person to person through the air.
Ndimeni explained that, “Early identification and investigation of people with symptoms suggestive of TB and those at high risk of developing TB is important in decreasing the TB infectious pool in the community and prevent unnecessary deaths.”
Patients who are at high risk of developing TB are investigated for TB even if they do not have symptoms as many people infected with the TB bacteria don’t have symptoms.
“Many patients are diagnosed very late when they are already very sick and get hospitalised. Even though it is possible to diagnose TB, many die before starting treatment,” she said.
There are many methods that are used to investigate TB in addition to the laboratory tests; these include mobile Chest Xray which Ndimeni and her team use for the community outreach events.
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LF LAM (lateral flow urine lipoarabinomannan assay) is used for diagnosing TB among HIV positive people with CD4 count below 200 or those with WHO stage 3 or 4 HIV disease.
“9% of patients who started their TB treatment in 2021 died before completing treatment in sub district D. Almost double the target of below 5.5% death among TB patients is still a challenge in Soweto,” said Ndimeni.
You can screen yourself for TB in the comfort of your own home by dialling *134*832*5# on your phone and answer the questions truthfully.
This service is free and can assist in early diagnosis and treatment of TB thus preventing unnecessary deaths.
The following people are advised to go to the clinic to be investigated for TB
• All close contacts of patients taking TB treatment.
• HIV positive patients annually during their routine HIV blood test.
• HIV positive pregnant women during the first visit at antenatal clinic
• Patients previously treated for TB, annually for two years
• All newly diagnosed HIV positive patients.
