Traditional rulers, others pledge to fight against TB

Traditional rulers including the media and Civil Society Organizations in the Upper East Region have pledged their support for the Ghana Health Service to help combat the spread of tuberculoses in the area.

The stakeholders made the pledge in Bolgatanga on Tuesday during a forum organised by Rural Initiatives for Self-Empowerment-Ghana (RISE), a non-governmental organization during the launch on TB project.

Launching the project dubbed “Mobilizing and Strengthening Civil Society and Organizations of TB Affected people to demand Accountability and Stop TB in the Upper East Region’’, the Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional area, Naba Baba Salifu Aleeyarum, said the Ghana Health Service alone cannot fight the TB menace .

He called for multi sector approach and appealed to his colleague chiefs to join the crusade by ensuring that all community members who are infected seek early treatment.

RISE-Ghana is one of the major advocacy groups in the Region who are working on the reduction of TB and it is being funded by the” Stop the TB Partnership Challenge Facility for Civil Society (CFSC) “.

Mr Awal Ahmed, Project Manager of RISE-Ghana, said as part of the programme his outfit would mobilize and strengthen CSOs and TB affected people so that they could hold government, civil society and other service providers accountable.

He said despite its potential of derailing the country’s efforts towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), TB had been neglected and reiterated the need for chiefs, health professional, the media, policy makers and NGOs to join the noble cause of stopping TB.

Mr Samuel Angyogdem ,Regional TB and HIV Control Programme Coordinator, said one infected person could transfer the disease to about 10 to 15 persons and appealed to all the stakeholders particularly traditional leaders, assembly members to ensure that anybody in their communities who is found to have the symptom of the disease report to health facility for early treatment.

He said apart from the treatment being free, patients are given enablers as a way of motivation to visit the health facility.