Tuberculosis: A public health menace
Written by Prince Assandoh-Mensah, RN in 2016
I have seen people spitting saliva and sputum (phlegm) indiscriminately on the streets to the extent that if one isn’t careful, one will be bathed with someone’s phlegm. Let me be quiet nonreligious. I hate it when am in the church and whoever is leading the congregation is like “obiara yi ne handkerchief “. I get so mad and pissed off. I ask myself do this people really know what is happening. Maybe they don’t know they are contributing to the spread of airborne diseases and possibly, droplet infections.
Tuberculosis popularly known as TB and “nsaman wa” literally mean “ghost cough” Is one of the of the infections that can be transmitted by these practices or behaviours. TB affects mostly the lungs in the chest and results in signs and symptoms like loud cough for more than 2 weeks, chest pains, difficulty in breathing, phlegm production which may or may not be blood stained, sleeplessness, night sweats, loss of appetite, early tiredness etc. TB can also affect any other part of the body including the eye, kidney, spine, brain etc. Unfortunately this type of TB is very difficult to detect n treat even though treatment is always possible.
People, we can all come together and break the chain of infection and it’s transmission. Methods for Prevention of the disease can be done by following some of these steps:
- Having mass education on the disease; its causes, signs and treatment available.
- Ensuring that all close contacts, friends and relatives who have coughed for more than 2 weeks seek medical help.
- Doing contact tracing to ensure all close contact of TB patients are screened and treated.
- Avoid stigmatising TB patients.
- Good nutrition and prevention of malnutrition especially in children below the 5 yrs.
- Avoiding smoking and alcoholism.
- Ensuring safe practices like covering the mouth when coughing and avoiding indiscriminate spitting.
TB is spreading in Ghana and has become a public health threat. Let’s do our small bits in our small corners to get rid of it. It is a difficult task but we can surely get there.
