TB Testing Week: USAID Breakthrough ACTION Nigeria Leads “Check-Am-O” Campaign To Major Markets In Ibadan
As the one-week national tuberculosis testing week draws to a close, many residents of Oyo state have benefitted from the initiative.
The exercise tagged “Check Am O” campaign, held simultaneously across the country, was organized for free screening, testing and treatment of members of the public in Oyo State
The week long programme which had full participation of USAID BA-N partners, health practitioners from relevant government and non-governmental agencies, especially in media engagement and one-on-one TB awareness, was on Friday witnessed a high turnout of traders at the Bola Ige International, Market, Gbaji, Ibadan.
Newsarena.ng reports that, other markets visited during the national testing week included the popular Araromi Motor Spare part market, Agodi and Bodija International Market, Ibadan.
Traders, artisans and businessmen in their large numbers trooped out en-masse to take opportunity of the exercise.
Speaking with newsarena.ng, Oyo state Director, USAID Breakthrough ACTION Nigeria, Mrs Oluwatoyin Afachung explained that the aim of the programme was to increase tuberculosis case finding with a view to achieve the 2035 target to end TB
Mrs Afachung advised the general public, especially people with cough for two weeks or more to visit any primary health care facility in the state for free testing and treatment.
“If you have cough and you’ve been treating it for over two weeks and it doesn’t seems to be going, such person should come out and get tested” She explained.
She further stated that ” the Breakthrough Action Nigerian Project is supporting a campaign called the “Check-Am-O” campaign. It means, if you are not sure, go and check. If it comes out to be tuberculosis, it is treatable and the treatment is free, USAID has made that possible”
Also speaking, Oyo state team lead, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, Dr Samuel Akingbesote described TB as a bacteria disease with symptoms of two weeks cough duration or more; weight loss, fever of two weeks and difficulties in breathing.
Dr Akingbesote said though the just concluded campaign was a week, the massive awareness during the exercise will go a long way at informing members of the public on the essence of screening and testing.
Speaking on the possible duration for the treatment of TB, Dr Akingbesote said “well, it depends on the form of tuberculosis but the minimum we talk about is six months”
An Oyo state primary healthcare centre TB/Leprosy Supervisor, Ibadan Northwest Mrs Rafat Odeniyi said the team of medical experts decided to move in to markets because of the busy schedule of traders who may want to use their time constraints as excuse.
Newsarena.ng reports that a number of people around the markets used the opportunity of the exercise to get covid 19 vaccine jabs.
The first national tuberculosis testing week commenced on the 1st of August and it is expected to end on Sunday 7th August 2022
