Tuberculosis is no respecter of social class

Tuberculosis is contracted by members of all social class in the population; the lower class, middle class or upper class.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mr Harvey Akafu, Tema Metropolitan Health Information Officer, called on all and sundry to go for screening since the disease was no respecter of persons.

He said the Global Fund supports the tuberculosis programme providing funding for the free screening and treatment of tuberculosis patients, especially those of the lower class, adding that, the funds catered for the transport and feeding of the lower class during their treatment.

According to him, HIV brings down the immune system and causes the immune level to go down allowing many diseases to plunder the body of which tuberculosis was a leading opportunistic destroyer; “TB is a major client of Human Immune Virus (HIV)”

On foreigners, he said those with tuberculosis and staying for a long period in the country were screened and put on treatment when they visit the hospital and those staying for a shorter period were given referral note to go back to his/her country for treatment