Ghana is among the high-burdened countries for TB in Africa, with an estimated incidence rate of 125 cases per 100,000 population in 2020, according to the World Health Organization. One of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Goal 3, specifically focuses on health and well-being and includes a target to end the global TB epidemic by 2030.
Hope for Future Generations (HFFG) is currently implementing the CFCS Round 11 project which is aimed at reducing TB Stigma, and gender-based and Human Rights abuse in 9 high burdened districts in Greater Accra, Central & Volta Regions using innovative and evidence-based community-led interventions.
As part of activities in commemoration of World TB Day 2023, HFFG in partnership with the National Tuberculosis Control Program of the Ghana Health Service, TB Voice Network, and Stop TB partnership Ghana conducted a free screening and sensitization and awareness of the “Deadly Divide” report at the St. Dominic Catholic Church at Taifa in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
In a short address to the congregation, the Project Coordinator at HFFG, Ms. Doris Lomokie Dornor, encouraged the congregants to take advantage of the free screening activity, emphasizing that, TB is an airborne disease caused by bacteria that usually attack the lungs, but can also attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain through droplets from an infected person to a healthy person by coughing and sneezing.
She explained that people with immune-suppressed conditions like HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, Malnutrition, and Hypertension are more prone to TB, so there is a need for them to take extra caution.
She said though TB is curable, early detection and treatment are key. She also mentioned that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on Ghana’s progress on TB response. It is important for us to come together to end TB. A total number of 80 people were screened.
HFFG, the host of the TBImpactGH app which is a digital health solution created to enhance and support community-led monitoring of the TB response, leveraged on the opportunity to increase public awareness about the mobile application and provided training on how to make use of the mobile application.
The theme for World TB Day 2023 was “Yes! We can End TB” – emphasizing the need for the TB community to scale up efforts to end the TB menace globally by 2030.
HFFG, a national, women, children and young people focused NGO, is committed to raising public awareness and understanding of TB through various campaigns and programs to ensure the goal of ending TB by 2030 is reached.