TB cases on the rise in Kadjebi District

The Kadjebi District in the Oti Region has recorded 36 Tuberculosis (TB) cases as of December 31, 2021, representing a 57.1 percent increase as against 27 cases in the same period in 2020.

The expected number of cases was 117 in 2021 as compared to 114 in 2020.

Mr. Derrick Atitsu, Kadjebi District Disease Control Officer, disclosed this during the Kadjebi District Directorate of Ghana Health Service’s 2021 Annual Performance Review meeting at Kadjebi.

He said the increase was due to routine screening and community surveillance to detect the cases on time.

He said even though they had 36 cases, it fell short of 117 targets for the year 2021 because there was no fund for TB surveillance.

The Disease Control Officer said TB affects the lung, but could also affect other parts of the body, such as the brain, the kidney, or the spine; adding a person with TB can die if they do not get treatment.

Mr. Atitsu advised the public to report to a health facility if they were coughing for two days to two weeks to get screened for TB because screening and treatment were free.

For Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), the district also recorded 17 Buruli Ulcer cases in 2021 as against two recorded in 2020, Yaws, 2 recorded in 2021 as compared to 1 in 2020, Cutaneous Leishmaniasis 1 in 2021 as against 2 in 2020.