Tuberculosis: Stakeholders Advocate Collective Effort In Addressing Stigmatisation

Afonne Emmanuel
Mar, Fri, 2024

Health

Tuberculosis: Stakeholders advocate collective effort in addressing stigmatisation

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By Blessing Ajah

Stakeholders at a one day public discussion on Tuberculosis (TB) have advocated community collective effort in tackling stigmatisation of those infected with the disease.

They made the call in separate interviews on the sidelines of a public discussion on Tuberculosis held on Thursday at Birmingham University in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the one day discussion was organised by “Light Consortium”, a global health research programme consisting several countries, including Nigeria.

The event was in commemoration of the 2024 World Tuberculosis Day usually held on March 24′, with the theme “Community Voices: A discussion with people impacted by TB”.

Speaking on the event, Associate Professor, Toyosi Adekeye, Research Uptake Manager, Light Consortium described stigmatisation as a big issue particularly in tuberculosis.

He noted that due to its stigmatisation, there was always a delay to access healthcare which also affected people even after they had been given care.

“The root cause of stigma in tuberculosis is lack of adequate knowledge and awareness and when people hear that someone is infected, the first thing is self-preservation.

“They want to stay away from that person or stigmatise the person when in reality we know that once people with tuberculosis begin the right treatment, the possibility of transmission to others is very minimal,” he said.

He, therefore, advocated a collective community effort in changing the narrative on the mindset towards people living with tuberculosis.

Adekeye also urged communities to give them support and encourage those with symptoms to come out for proper diagnosis.

“For us at Light Consortium, we will continue to increase awareness on stigma, how it affects the health status of people who are affected by tuberculosis and the impact it has on the individuals.

“We hope that with all these efforts on awareness including an aggressive collective community effort and improved care and services, we hope that we can reduce stigma in the TB space,” he said.

Adekeye added that Light Consortium also prioritise gender transformative TB care and services in Nigeria, whereby more men get care and treatment.

According to him, many are affected by tuberculosis but fewer men access care and services for different reasons.

He said, “So at Light Consortium, our focus is to meet men in innovative ways to increase access to TB care and services.”

Adekeye, also a lecturer at Bingham University, lauded the management of the institution for supporting the initiative.

Also speaking, Miss Zainab Ibrahim, a participant and a tuberculosis victim, also called for community effort, especially in rural areas.

She said community health workers could help in spreading the sensitisation on tuberculosis and how to eradicate stigmatisation of the infection.

“There should be more focus in the villages because many people do not know much about tuberculosis.

“This can also lead to wrong conclusions and thereby leading to stigmatisation of not just the infected person but also their families.

“Health workers need to go to the villages, engage in collective community awareness, so that if one notices any symptoms, he or she can go to the health centre for treatment knowing that it is treatable,” she added.

Mr Abayomi Abiola, another participant, lauded the organisers of the one day discussion on Tuberculosis for a well educative programme.

“Just like me, a lot of participants have been well educated and sensitised on tuberculosis, most especially on the need not to stigmatise those infected with it as it is not a death sentence.

“We have come to understand that tuberculosis can be treated. Also getting tested and treatment are free.

“Aside that, we learnt that after two weeks of proper treatment, those infected can hardly infect others.

“So if we put all that information out to the pubic via a joint effort, stigmatisation will drastically reduce,” he said.

NAN reports that TB is a potentially serious infectious bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs, and the bacteria that causes TB are spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

World Tuberculosis Day is observed March 24, every year and designed to build public awareness about the global epidemic of TB and efforts to eliminate it. (NAN)(nannews.ng)

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Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Isaac Aregbesola

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