Satakha, May 11 (MExN): Considering the need to tackle the issue of Hepatitis C and tuberculosis among the grassroot population, Nagaland Users’ Network on May 10, conducted a sensitization workshop with key stakeholders at the Satakha area GB union hall, Satakha town.
Altogether, 40 participants comprising members from the town GB union, Satakha Range Students Union (SRSU), STH, OST staffs, medical team -BSF, Officer in Charge, satakha police station, pastors of STBC and UBC and program staff of NUN targeted intervention, Satakha, attended the programme. Ketholelie from HepCoN and Renbonthung from NUN were the resource persons, a press release from the NUN informed.
The first session discussed about Hepatitis C and was facilitated by Ketho, where topics about the nature of Hepatitis C as a disease of the Liver and its routes of transmission, diagnostics, new directly acting antivirals treatment drugs were discussed.
Stressing on the importance of HCV, Ketholelie however lamented that the State government has failed its people by not formulating any program or policy to address the HCV burden in the state and that people continue to die in spite of treatment being available. In this situation, he tried to elicit involvement of the larger society in responding to this neglected disease.
Prior to his presentation, Ketho also briefly spoke on the concept of Targeted Intervention program being implanted by NUN at Satakha which primarily work to prevent and control HIV among Risk groups, the release stated.
The second session was facilitated by Renbonthung Tungoe (Advocacy Office, NUN) on Tuberculosis, diagnosis and treatment. He mentioned TB as a killer disease with India as the highest TB prevalent country in the world and Nagaland also contributing to the country’s prevalence. He mentioned about TB being an air borne disease and that it can significantly infect people if proper preventive measures are not taken.
Further on, Renbonthung spoke on the basics route of transmission, how it is diagnosed and the various facilities available in the state in terms of treatment. The Discussion focused on the different types of TB such as LTBI, pulmonary/extra Pulmonary TB, MDRTB and XDRTB, and how it is treated with different categories of drug regimes. He also emphasised on a preventive strategy through Isoniazid and exhorted that “TB is fully curable if proper medical intervention is sought in time”.
Renbonthung also spoke on the need to have a concerted effort in responding to this curable disease and that responding to TB should not be confined to a particular community but should be a concern for everyone and that the community should play a vital role in monitoring the functioning of government-run facilities and the quality of treatment made available by the government in their respective area.
The program was followed by a discussion hour, where few GBs and a participant shared certain concerns and questions.
