Samoa joined the rest of the world yesterday to commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day.
<script async src="http://www.samoaobserver.ws///pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- ads-articles(24.03.14) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-9419815128221199"
data-ad-slot="2395638412"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>
The celebration was held at the Tu’utu’u i Le Loloto Hall at Mulivai.
It was there that the Associate Minister of Health, Maualaivao Pat Ah Him, urged the country that to address TB, the community must work together. “I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the importance of cooperation and proactive involvement from both the general public and healthcare providers to prevent the spread of this curable disease,” he said.
World Tuberculosis Day is commemorated every year worldwide to signify the importance of raising awareness on the terrible effects of Tuberculosis (TB) and the status of prevention and control effort carried around the world.
Maualaivao recall this year’s theme of “Find, treat, cure TB -Reach 3 million.”
The Associate Minister said the reality is that every year, 9 million people get sick with TB and 3 million of whom don’t get the care they need.
The Commemoration yestrerday was attended by the health workers and members of the community. Methodist Minister, Reverend Laumapa Solomona, blessed the ceremony during a brief prayer service.
Information about TB Q: What is TB? How does it spread?
How is it treated?
A: Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs. Tuberculosis is curable and preventable. TB is spread from person to person through the air.
When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected.
About one-third of the world’s population has latent TB, which means people have been infected by TB bacteria but are not (yet) ill with disease and cannot transmit the disease. People infected with TB bacteria have a lifetime risk of falling ill with TB of 10%.
However persons with compromised immune systems, such as people living with HIV, malnutrition or diabetes, or people who use tobacco, have a much higher risk of falling ill. When a person develops active TB (disease), the symptoms (cough, fever, night sweats, weight loss etc.) may be mild for many months.
This can lead to delays in seeking care, and results in transmission of the bacteria to others. People ill with TB can infect up to 10-15 other people through close contact over the course of a year.
Without proper treatment up to two thirds of people ill with TB will die. Since 2000 more than 37 million lives have been saved through effective diagnosis and treatment.
Active, drug-sensitive TB disease is treated with a standard 6-month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer. The vast majority of TB cases can be cured when medicines are provided and taken properly.
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-2469982834957525"
data-ad-slot="1033882026"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}