Tuberculosis could cause infertility-Dr McDamien Dedzo

Ho, March 23, GNA - Dr McDamien Dedzo, Senior Medical Officer in charge of Public Health at the Volta Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on Wednesday said Tuberculosis (TB) could cause infertility in men and women. He said though majority of TB patients suffered from the variant that affects the lungs, the disease could also affect any other part of the body including the testis and ovary, causing infertility in men and women.

Dr Dedzo said this at a sensitisation seminar for 50 heads of Departments, Ministries and Agencies in Ho, as part of activities to mark the World TB Day celebrations on March 24, this year. Dr Dedzo said the disease was believed to make people sterile. He said the disease was curable but only after patients took the full course of treatment given to them. Dr Dedzo said the inability or refusal of patients to undergo the full of course of treatment had made the disease difficult to cure. He explained that the clearance of symptoms, while taking treatment might only mean that the germs had been subdued but might not be totally eliminated and could later overcome the immune system and presented itself again.

"The disease is now curable so nothing must prevent us from curing it," Dr. Dedzo stated. He reiterated that drugs for the disease and its treatment including laboratory tests were totally free at all government hospitals.