THE CLOCK IS TICKING
March 24th of every year have been set aside to celebrate the world Tuberculosis (TB). It is a day to sensitize the public about the devastating health, social and economic dangers of TB and to set up measures to eradicate the epidemic.
Meanwhile,Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that affects the lungs (it can also affect any organ in the body). It can be develop when bacteria spread through droplets in the air.
TB can be fatal, but in many cases, it is preventable and treatable. TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infection.
Everyday, close to 4000 people lose their lives to TB and close to 28,000 people fall sick with this preventable and curable disease.
Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 63 million lives since the year 2000.
The theme for this year’s world tuberculosis day is “The Clock is Ticking”. This theme was chosen by the United Unations to create a sense of urgency in the mind of the public that the world is running out of time to act on the commitments to end TB by our leaders.
The early warning signs of tuberculosis are;
- Chest pain
- Night sweats
- Loss of appetite
- Persistent cough, lasting at least 3 weeks
- Phlegm:
M.tuberculosis bacteria cause TB, and it can be transmitted through air droplets when a person with pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes, spits, laughs or talks.
The virus can be transmitted with active TB can transmit the infection.
Ways of preventing TB from infecting others include:
- Wearing a mask
- Getting a diagnosis and treatment early
- Staying away from other people until there is no longer a risk of infection.
- There are vaccination for tuberculosis, which is often administered to children during child birth.
