EHAI Conducts Two Days Training for Community Based Organisations and Community Volunteers for the TB LON 3 Project

EHAI Conducts Two Days Training for Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Community Volunteers (CVs) for the Tuberculosis Local Organisations Network, Region 3 (Tb Lon 3) Project

Equitable Health Access Initiative conducted a three days training for Community Based Organisations (CBOs) And Community Volunteers (CVs) for the Tuberculosis Local Organisations Network, Region 3 (TB LON 3). The meeting unfolded from September 1, and 2 2020 in Ado-Odo Ota and Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Facilitators from Society for Family Health, Nigeria (SFH) and Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Supervisors (TBLS) took turns in training the participants and emphasizing the objectives of the training. The participants were enlightened about the activities of National Tuberculosis Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) alongside USAID and SFH.

Epidemiological details about tuberculosis were further disseminated to the CVs and CBOs. They were informed about the bacteria responsible for the Tuberculosis disease; Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the types of Tuberculosis, the signs and symptoms of the disease, areas the TB affects (either Pulmonary Tuberculosis-PTB or Extra-Pulmonary Tuberculosis-EPTB), its mode of transmission as well as the risk factors attributing to the disease which includes overcrowding, inadequate ventilation and living with HIV.

Participants of the training were informed that individuals in the community exhibiting signs and symptoms like night sweats, persistent cough for over two weeks (peculiar to PTB), fever and weight loss should be tagged as presumptive cases and their sputum specimen should be obtained for testing.

CVs and CBOs further learned about contact tracing of index cases and the importance of linking them to care. They were also enlightened on the drugs used for treating both DS-TB and DR-TB, and the side effects of drugs administered for treatment of TB. Various techniques which should be deployed for the diagnosis of TB were discussed with facilitators laying emphasis on Gene Xpert, because it differentiates the type of TB an individual suffers from as either Drug Susceptible Tuberculosis (DS-TB) or Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB). The use of X-ray was also recommended for certain situations.

Participants were also educated on the TB structure in Nigeria and the hierarchy of the TB programme from the community to the facilities and laboratory.

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