His Majesty Nana Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensiam VI, National Tuberculosis Ambassador for Ghana under the auspices of National Tuberculosis Control Programme of the Ghana Health Service has pledged to put up conscious effort to eliminate tuberculosis in Ghana.
He made the pledge when he exclusively spoke with Ghanaian Times in Accra.
The ambassador said his major role as an ambassador was to inform the general public about the contagious disease and its associated dangerous effects.
He added that tuberculosis had been misunderstood and considered by most people as deadly, meanwhile there was remedy to the disease.
The ambassador accentuated that it was his sole mandate as the National Ambassador to heighten and intensify awareness that tuberculosis was contagious but curable and preventable.
Despite the myth surrounding the air-borne disease, the Ambassador reiterated that the previous name given to tuberculosis as “nsaman wa” in the Ghanaian Twi language which literally means deadly cough, was now a thing of the past.
Highlighting on the treatment of tuberculosis, the National Ambassador cautioned that there was no traditional treatment for the disease hence, persons affected with such contagious disease should resort to the nearest health facility for immediate treatment.
“Diagnosing and curing of tuberculosis was free at every health facility so affected victims of such disease should not sit for the disease to kill him or her,” he underscored.
Stressing on stigmatisation, Nana Ehunabobrim said he would ensure adequate education to stop stigmatising persons suffering from tuberculosis and cautioned employers not to dismiss employees with the disease because the treatment of tuberculosis may not take a long time and added that citizens must not stigmatise persons living with tuberculosis because it was preventable and curable.
The Ambassador further said, prevalence of tuberculosis in the rural area of Ghana was higher than the cities and because of his ambassadorial role as the National Ambassador, he would build great contacts with traditional leaders to sensitise their subjects about the disease.
Nana Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensiam VI stressed that he would collaborate with the government and stakeholders in the health sector to eliminate tuberculosis in Ghana by 2030.
Statistically, Nana said in Ghana, two persons die every day as a result of untreated tuberculosis and told Ghanaian Times that children and women were prone to the disease.
He urged Ghanaians to be careful about persistent and prolonged coughs which lasted between one and two weeks.
The Ambassadors added that, the
above symptoms coupled with weight loss, sweating and loss of appetite were
clear signs of tuberculosis and advised affected persons never to hesitate to
visit the nearest hospital for treatment.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
