ARK and Kripa Foundation conduct workshop
Kohima, March 6 (MExN): The ARK and Kripa Foundation conducted one day ‘community consultation and treatment literacy on TB’ at the office of the Kripa Foundation Project office D Block on March 6 with the theme ‘Engaging the communities toward TB response.’
A press release issued by the office of ARK (Access to Rights and Knowledge) Foundation Kohima, mentioned that during the programme, Ketho lamented about the lack of proper diagnostic and treatment facility for TB in the state. Mentioning that only a proper diagnosis will lead to the right treatment, the community has to be empowered with the knowledge of TB, only then can we end TB in the country.
“It is time for the vulnerable community to start addressing these advocacy issues, and that people should no more die of an infection which is curable,” stated Ketho. Giving an overview of the TB background, he mentioned that it can infect anyone who has been in close contacts to a person with active TB case, but more prominently in the case of a PLHIV and drug users as a result of their immune suppression.
He called upon the participants to work in close collaboration with the state’ s implementing department while also urging the later to acknowledge the importance of the key role that NGOs and vulnerable communities, building stronger partnership between the two, towards a concerted effort to eliminate TB in the state. He also gave a brief presentation on the types of TB, such as LTBI, Regular TB, MDRTB, its cause and signs and symptoms.
Renbo, from ARK Foundation, deliberated the diagnosis and Treatment aspect of the different types of TB, starting from pulmonary TB to XDRTB. The resource person stated that treatment will be based on the type of TB infection with different duration and regimes for different forms of TB. He also put special emphasize on LTBI, which is mostly common in PLHIV and for which IPT has to be initiated for a period of 6 months as per the RNTCP’s initiative.
He, however also mentioned that “our state do not have the proper infrastructure and machineries, resulting in lack of proper and treatment.” In this given situation, he expressed his concerns that people continue to die in spite of curable medicines being available. In conclusion, he highlighted on some of the side effects of TB medications but also encouraging people on treatment to complete their treatment, without which the TB condition becomes more complicated to be diagnosed and treated.
Abou Mere, Director, Kripa Foundation stated that TB in relation to drug use is also a priority issue to be addressed and urged the participants to equip themselves with such knowledge even in the coming days. Alongside he also spoke on the need to continue the work on TB, in similar lines with HIV/AIDS, and Viral Hepatitis C. He called upon the group, comprising of drug users, PLHIV, PLHCV, and his project staffs, to prepare themselves in this subject matter, since TB programme and Hepatitis program may come in a bigger and more aggressive manner, whereby the state Government will need the support of the NGOs and CBOs.
