On 24 March 2023, Ghana joined the rest of the world in observing World TB Day, a day set aside to increase public awareness of TB, highlight the suffering that the disease continues to cause, and inspire political and societal commitment for further advancement.
TB is an infectious disease that still has a catastrophic impact on the lives of many people around the world. According to the WHO, almost 28,000 people become ill with this curable and avoidable disease each day, and over 4100 people die from TB. Based on the 2021 Global TB report in Ghana, estimated 44,000 people fell ill with TB, and estimated 14,900 people died of TB in 2020. Despite recent global efforts to reduce the burden of TB, the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated impact has reversed efforts made towards the “End TB by 2035” goal.
This year’s theme: Yes! We can end TB! is a call to inspire confidence and promote the commitment of key stakeholders in investing to combat the TB epidemic especially in the context of recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and how our collective power can finally bring an end to this age-old disease.
Every year Aurum Institute Ghana commemorates World TB Day by supporting beneficiary facilities of our interventions with commodities to enhance TB services in their facilities.
Between 2018 and 2019, the organisation was involved in a private sector engagement project to increase private sector contribution to national TB case detection.
Aurum Ghana implemented the Stop TB Partnership-funded TB REACH Wave 6 Project, by engaging private health providers and the National Health Insurance (NHIS) to scale up active TB case finding among vulnerable populations. Through the project Aurum Ghana used cutting-edge interventions in TB case finding and care to improve diagnosis, treatment, and support for people with TB. The project contributed 3.8% of the national TB case notification in 2019.
This year, the organization is commemorating the World TB Day with Lapaz Community Hospital and Iran Clinic because they are two of the four private facilities (aside Trinity Hospital and County Hospital, both in Ashanti region) to receive Genexpert machines for TB diagnosis during the implementation of the TB REACH Wave 6 Project. These facilities continue to provide TB diagnostic services to the general population in their catchment areas years after the end of the project and contribute significantly to the national TB case notification. In collaboration with the National TB Control Programme Aurum Ghana decided to support them with some commodities to continue the good work in TB diagnosis especially in the mist of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Again, as part of continued efforts to supporting the national response against the COVID-19 pandemic, Aurum Ghana is implementing the IMPAACT4C19 project to reduce COVID-19 mortality through accelerated diagnostic tools and therapeutic options scaled up. Through the IMPAACT4C19 project, Aurum is collaborating with the NTP to implement bidirectional screening for COVID-19 & TB in selected health facilities and mining communities. The donation of the commodities particularly the COVID-19 antigen test kits is to support COVID-19 & TB bidirectional screening in the facilities.
