NGO poised to eliminate tuberculosis in two municipalities

AMPA Resource Organisation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) which provides social services and health education to rural communities, has taken initiatives to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) from the Suhum and Nsawam-Adoagyiri municipalities in the Eastern Region.

It has therefore trained over 200 health volunteers and equipped them to promote high TB case notifications in 90 communities in the two municipalities. The volunteers are tasked to identify and urgently report suspected cases at the nearest health centre for immediate treatment.

Addressing a stakeholders meeting at Suhum, Mr Emmanuel K. Mintah, Executive Director for AMPA Resource Organisation, said the NGO was committed to increase the annual case notification by 50 percent in the selected areas. He said the initiative was intended to complement the government’s efforts in achieving the health related Millennium Development Goal (MDG) or at least get closer to achieving it.

Mr Mintah entreated all the stakeholders and other NGOs to integrate TB control activities in their programmes to advance efforts in eliminating the disease in the two municipalities. Dr Samuel Agyemang Boateng, the Suhum Municipal Health Director, urged the health volunteers to respect suspected TB patients and also endeavour to keep confidentialities.

“This will encourage more suspected victims to confidently report cases for early treatment,” he said. Dr Boateng also called on Ghanaians to take advantage of the financial support from donor organisations to eliminate TB in the country.

The GNA gathered that by close of December 2013, the Suhum Municipality had recorded a total of 91 TB cases whiles that of Nsawam-Adoagyiri totaled 81. The half year statistics for 2014 is already showing that Suhum has recorded 55 cases whereas Nsawam-Adoagyiri is pegged at 51 cases.