By Magnus Emuji
A non-governmental organisation, the Civil Society Organisation on Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN/CESI/GC7), has called on the Delta State Government, through the Ministry of Health, to increase the number of Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) centres in the state to improve access to tuberculosis testing and treatment.
The State Coordinator of ACOMIN, Pastor Gregory Sifo, made the call in Asaba during an advocacy visit to the office of the State TB Program Manager in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Francis Bakpa.
Sifo also emphasised the need for health workers and stakeholders in the health sector to integrate various thematic disease areas in their activities and reporting.
In his remarks, Dr. Bakpa said that for effective integration of HIV/AIDs, TB and Malaria programs, there must be a policy direction from the national level stipulating how the integration should be implemented for states to leverage on it.
Bakpa noted that while TB coordinators usually collate data for reporting every three months, HIV data is reported every month.
He added that coordinators of the programs need to be properly trained on the template for HIV, TB and malaria integration.
He disclosed that there are plans for coordinators in the three thematic disease areas to embark on joint supervision visits.
On the issue of increasing the number of DOTS centres, Dr. Bakpa clarified that there is no need to increase the number of centres. He said the focus should instead be on making the existing centres more functional.
Bakpa listed the challenges confronting DOTS centres in the state to include shortage of personnel and stigmatisation, noting that TB work demands commitment.
The State TB Program Manager explained that the duration for TB treatment is six months after testing, and that any patient who complies with testing and treatment will be cured of TB.
Meanwhile, Pastor Sifo led the ACOMIN team in the state on a visit to the Coordinator of the Logistics Management and Coordinating Unit in the Ministry of Health, Pharm. Mrs. Stella Uduaghan.
He informed her that the national body has been emphasising the integration of the thematic disease areas.
Responding, Pharm. Uduaghan said that the work of her unit focuses on logistics management, coordination of the movement of health products, and reporting of supplies in all facilities.
Pharm. Uduaghan stated that her understanding of integration is that the program should run in parallel from the federal to state and local government levels. She urged those advocating for the program to commence implementation.
