Lilongwe, 8 April 2015: Malawi joined the rest of the world in commemorating World TB Day under the theme 'reach, treat, cure everyone' which is a continuation of last year’s theme of 'reach the 3 million' cases that do not get the care that they need globally. The ceremony took place at Chinkusa ground in Mzimba district on 24 March 2015.

The World Health Organization joined the Ministry of Health in the commemoration and the guest of honour at the ceremony was the Minister of Health Dr Jean Kalilani, MP. In attendance were WHO Representative Dr Eugene Nyarko, Secretary for Health Mr Chris Kang’ombe, and Inkosi ya Makosi Mbelwa V for Mzimba among other distinguished guests.

Speaking to the audience at the ceremony the Honourable Minister, Dr Kalilani thanked all partners including NGOs for joining hands and working tirelessly to find people with tuberculosis signs and symptoms in the community and providing the necessary treatment and care.

“The Ministry of Health is working closely with its partners and has placed 45 GeneXpert machines countrywide. These machines have enhanced TB diagnosis as they are able to give a result within 2 hours. The importance of this is that patients may now get their results on the same day and possibly be started on TB treatment on the same day,” the Honorable Minister said.

In his remarks Dr Nyarko, said “I would like to urge the government to embrace the ‘End TB strategy’ interventions which call for accelerated efforts to find, treat and cure all people with TB, I also call upon the public to overcome the known TB barriers, correct misconceptions about the disease and promote health seeking behaviours.”

Dr Nyarko went on to inform the audience that over the last 12 months World Health Organization estimates that tuberculosis was responsible for over half a million deaths in the African Region. He also reminded the audience that tuberculosis and tuberculosis/HIV co-infection spread is fueled by among others, poor access to health services, lack of trained health care providers and weak health care delivery systems.

The World TB day commemoration is in response to preliminary results of the recently completed national prevalence survey that showed TB prevalence is higher than previous estimates. The estimated prevalence is approximately twice current case notification rate of around 19 000 cases per year and also prevalence is higher in men than in women and higher in urban than in rural areas.

The results also show that prevalence increases with age, but there appears to be an increased rate in the 25-44 year age group. Care seeking behaviour among people with signs and symptoms is as low as 35%.

While Malawi has registered good outcomes such as case finding, there is need for more investment in TB control in order to find the cases that are currently not being reached. Equally there is need to create awareness of TB among the general public in order to influence care seeking behaviour for those who have symptoms.

________________________________________________

For more information contact

Mr. H.W. Kubwalo, World Health Organisation
ADL House, PO Box 30390
Capital City, Lilongwe 3
Tel: 01 772 755
Email: afwcomw [at] who.int (afwcomw[at]who[dot]int)
________________________________________________

01. Community members of Mzimba district disseminating TB messages through drama at the ceremony

02. Dr Eugene Nyarko (WR) presenting the WHO message for the day

03. School children carrying placards with TB messages

04. The honorable Minister of Health Dr Jean Kalilani talking to reporters soon after the ceremony