Lorine Emenike
As part of activities to mark the 2019 Tuberculosis day, with the theme “It’s time to end TB, Rivers State ends TB now”, the Rivers State ministry of health has taken the TB sensitization campaign to mile one central mosque.
This, the ministry said, is to educate the Muslim faithful at the branch of the life and health-threatening of the ailment (TB).
Addressing Muslim faithful, Dr Doris Nria, the health educator of the state ministry of health said “Tuberculosis is a dangerous illness that affects the human immune system. TB is associated with incessant coughing that also leaves the chest with severe pains. People with low immune system especially those with HIV are prone to TB”
Continuing, Dr Nria advised that individuals and families should always stay and live in well-ventilated rooms. She said staying in an over-crowded room is not advisable.
She said, “when people stay in an overcrowded room with a TB infected patient, others are exposéd to contacting the ailment”.
She also condemned the sharing of utensils with an infected person.
She called on all Muslim faithful at the mile one central mosque to come out en mass on the 31st of this month, and ensure they all participate in the TB test that will be carried out by the Rivers State ministry of health.
She added that the test and treatment will be free, especially for those who will test positive.
Dr. Nria said that all treatment and drugs are free and that the medicines are already available at the states health facility.
She admonished the people to be religious in taking their medications whenever the doctors administer medicines to them.
She said “If you happen to test positive and the doctor gives you drugs, and you stop at a time without completing the dose as advised by the doctor, you will begin to develop drug resistance. That is why some people are having problems of not getting treated, because the illness must have resulted to drug resistance. That is why, we encourage them to take their drugs quite as the doctors have advised them”
