IN a bid to better understand Tuberculosis (TB), Scottish medical doctor, PhD and infectious diseases specialist, Dr Richard Lessells, recently joined the research team at Somkhele’s Africa Centre for Population Health.
‘Together with my colleagues, I am conducting research on TB, particularly drug-resistant TB, and we are trying to understand more about how the disease spreads in this community.
‘If we can improve our understanding, then we hope to develop ways to stop the spread,’ said Lesssells.
Through his research, Lessells hopes to test ways of bringing high quality care into people’s homes to improve people’s experiences of treatment, ultimately improving treatment outcomes.
When asked his take on the TB pandemic in Africa, Lessells said that, although TB has been prevalent in Africa for thousands of years, and despite the disease being curable in most people, it is the leading cause of death across Africa.
‘Around 2 000 people die from TB every day in Africa, with over 100 people dying from TB every day in South Africa. This is unacceptable’.
Lessells said we have the tools to substantially decrease this number and said researchers, healthcare workers, politicians and communities must work together to combat the high TB-related mortality rate.
Lessells lists testing for TB, practicing prevention and HIV sufferers taking antiretroviral treatment (ART) as the three most important factors in TB education.
‘If people have symptoms, particularly a cough, they must get tested for TB at their nearest clinic.
‘Preventative measures include keeping windows open as TB is transferred through the air from person to person.
‘As TB is often associated with HIV, it is crucial for these patients to take ART medication.’
Lessells said he is motivated most by doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers dealing with the disease on a daily basis.
‘One of my passions is building the knowledge and skills of nurses and doctors here to be able to deal with the challenges they face day in and day out from TB and HIV’.
