Togo: Vaccinating children against tuberculosis
- Posted on 06/04/2023 19:11
- Film
- By abelozih@sante-education.tg
Extract from the article: Togo aims to eliminate tuberculosis by 2030. The country is counting on vaccination (BCG) of children and free treatment for those who test positive to achieve zero cases. The commitment was renewed on Friday 24 March 2023, dedicated to the fight aga
Togo
aims to eliminate tuberculosis by 2030. The country is counting on vaccination
(BCG) of children and free treatment for those who test positive to achieve
zero cases. The commitment was renewed on Friday 24 March 2023, dedicated to
the fight against this disease by the National Tuberculosis Control Programme
(PNLT) during a briefing with journalists. According to data from Togo's
Ministry of Health, 3133 people were tested positive in 2022, including 386
co-infected patients and 94 children under 15 years of age. On average, more
than 2,000 people contract the disease each year. According to the WHO, the
African region is now on track to achieve a 35% reduction in TB deaths: the
number of TB deaths fell by 26% between 2015 and 2021.
« We
have shown that it is possible to reach and even exceed the first milestone of
the TB control strategy, which is a 20% reduction by 2020. TB is an « old »
disease that kills more people than any other infectious disease »,
said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, at a press
conference in Brazzaville, Congo. She noted, however, that new drugs, vaccines
and tests offer hope of ending TB in our lifetime.
In
Togo, where the ambition is to achieve definitive eradication in the next
twelve years, all means will be deployed to reach this goal. Among the actions
planned is communication, and journalists are invited to play their part. The
men and women of the media must help develop themes and communicate in a
digestible way about this disease in order to improve people's knowledge.
Jean
ELI
