Sinazongwe Health Director Dr. Kebby Musokwane has said the rapid spread of Tuberculosis (TB) in the country is making it worse to treat people with HIV/AIDS. Dr. Musokotwane said at the TB and HIV/AIDS orientation for government heads of departments in Sinazongwe and civil society that the increasing number of people with TB was making every person to be at risk of contracting the disease.Â
The doctor pointed out that there was need for outreach activities to sensitise communities on the prevention and early detection of TB. “The number of people with TB has increased and puts every one of us at risk, TB also makes HIV/AIDS worse that a person becomes difficult to treat,†Dr. Musokotwane said.Â
He said TB complicates HIV/AIDS and HIV complicates TB and patients become more difficult to treat.The Health Director said the most common TB does not kill if people take their medication correctly without skipping days. He urged people on medication to ensure that they take their drugs as prescribed by the health personnel as failing to complete the drugs would make the TB disease to develop resistance. Speaking at the same function Sinazongwe district Commissioner Laiven Apuleni  said TB is a major threat in Zambia as the rates have increased from 545/100,000 people in 2000 to 750/100,000 people in 2006.Â
In a speech read on his behalf by Sinazongwe District Administrative Officer Daka Sokoloku he said most affected people were between the age of 20 and 35 years.Mr. Sokoloku said 11-50 percent of HIV/AIDS patients die of TB. He said TB/HIV interventions that were jointly delivered were needed to control the two diseases.
[ZANIS]
