THE Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) on 24th March commemorated World Tuberculosis (TB) Day with the communities in and around the Burns Creek community, East Honiara, with official speeches followed by symptomatic community screening.
The theme for this year’s celebration is: “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver’.
In his opening remarks at the event, MHMS National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Coordinator, Dr Henry Kako stated tuberculosis – is the world’s deadliest infectious disease. It continues to devastate millions globally, inflicting severe health, social and economic consequences.
“Each day, over 3400 people lose their lives to TB and close to 30,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease. TB is the leading death of people with HIV and a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance. World TB Day is an opportunity to focus on the people affected by this disease and to call for accelerated action to end TB suffering and deaths”, said Dr Kako.
He said during the UN High-Level Meeting in 2023 – World Leaders pledged to accelerate efforts to end TB through that rapid implementation of WHO guidance and policies, strengthened national strategies, and full funding support, all these were agreed upon during the meeting.
However, he further stated TB cannot be defeated without proper financing, it needs proper bold, diversified and approach to fund innovation, to close gaps in access to TB prevention, treatment and care, as well as to advance research and innovation.
“Each year we recorded expected cases of 400, whether pulmonary or clinically diagnosed. Currently we have 10 drug resistant cases and 4 of these cases was recorded in 2023”, said Dr Kako.
He outlined the National TB Strategic Plan 2024 to 2026 and National TB Guideline 2024 are currently in draft.
Honiara City Council (HCC), Panatina Ward Councilor Mrs. Lydia Yeo in her keynote address said TB by far is the deadliest disease in the world, but it is preventable and curable. She noted that major drivers of TB are poverty, inequity, under-nutrition, discrimination, and stigma.
However, she said we cannot end TB without a holistic approach towards improving our health systems, social equity, and economic conditions.
“I encourage us all to express our gratitude towards health workers and the dedicated individuals who are committing their lives to tackling this disease. However, gratitude alone is not enough; we must play our part by staying informed and contributing, especially in addressing the underlying drivers of TB.
“I believe this partnership is the solution to ending TB, and preventing the unnecessary loss of lives of many Solomon Islanders.
“This year’s theme, Yes! We Can End TB, perfectly embodies this call to action. Ending TB is not only a global priority but also our collective responsibility, as no one is truly safe from TB.
“So, we should start our commitment to be informed, then we can invest whether it is time or money into the right places, and finally, we must deliver on our commitments to end TB”, said Counselor Yeo.
Meanwhile, Program Manager Global Fund Dr. Lazarus Neko said Global Fund is committed with their financial support to MHMS TB program. Through that funding Global Fund supported TB Program through; Procurement of Medication, support to program awareness and outreach, and TB radio programs.
