DILI, 24 march 2022 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Health, through the National TB Program Unit, detected almost 100 cases of TB in Timor-Leste’s smallest municipality, known as Ataúro Island through its three-week mass screening program.
The mass screening was carried out to celebrate the 2022 World TB Day in Timor-Leste, as the 8th Constitutional Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak has pledged to eliminate TB in the country by 2025.
The Manager of the National TB Program of the Ministry of Health, Costantino Lopes informed that the commemoration of the World TB Day in Timor-Leste will take place on friday (25/03) in Atauro island: “We have decided to commemorate this special day in Atauro Island because the government had officially announced its plan to end TB in the island by 2024.”
He said the Vice Minister of Health, Bonifácio Mau Coli dos Reis, the Director-General of Health Services, and National Director of Health Services will attend the commemoration of the World TB Day.
Lopes said as the preparation for the celebration of the day, the National TB Program Unit, in collaboration with the Klibur Domin had carried out the mass screening from house to house: “Of the 11.000 population, more than 3.000 inhabitants had been tested and almost 100 were positive for TB.”
“Atauro didn’t have so many TB cases. But the result of the mass screening indicated that many people are living with TB on the island. It means that TB had spread widely across the island. The mass screening took place from the second week of february, this year,” he said.
To achieve the goal of eliminating TB in Atauro by 2024, the National TB Program Unit, together with the Authorities of Atauro island had established a Task Force Team to be responsible for the implementation of TB prevention and control program in the island.
“From 2020 to 2021, we recorded only 3.000 cases at the national level. We were supposed to record more than 6.000 cases, but due to the Covid-19 situation with the implementation of state of emergencies, sanitary fences, and mandatory confinements made it difficult to reach that target,” he explained.
He said according to WHO’s data, Timor-Leste was one of the nations that have the highest incidence of TB cases with 106 per 100.000 people.
In september 2021, Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak signed a pledge that envisions comprehensive support and actions to “End TB” in Timor-Leste. At the event, the Prime Minister also launched the “National Plan for Accelerated Actions for Ending TB by 2025.”
Lopes emphasized that in the near future, the Government of Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Health, would establish a National Taskforce on Prevention and Control of TB to carry out an immediate multisectoral action to combat and control TB in Timor-Leste.
“To commemorate the World TB Day in Timor-Leste, the National TB Program Unit had also coordinated with the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) to celebrate the day with students in the municipalities of Baucau and Ermera,” he added.
TB Awareness Campaign
The National TB Program Unit had also carried out a TB Awareness Campaign to raise the awareness of the communities on the prevention and control of TB.
“We have installed billboards at health facilities, including distributing posters to educate our communities on how to prevent themselves from TB,” said Lopes.
He stressed MoH also had aired digital banners through TV programs to help and involve communities in the combat against TB.
“We have been working closely with the Klibur Domin and CRS on advocacy programs. Religious leaders are the most influential people in Timor-Leste, therefore, we want to involve these leaders in our program and activities of combating TB,” he underlined.
Lopes called on communities to visit the nearest health facilities if they experience signs and symptoms of active TB, including coughing up blood or mucus, chest pain, or pain with breathing or coughing, unintentional weight loss, fatigue, fever, night sweats, and chills.
“Early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis is important. Most people with active TB who’ve had appropriate drug treatment for at least six months are no longer contagious,” he said.
Related news:World TB Day: Bairo-Pite Clinic calls on all entities to combat TB together
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafy Belo
