World commemorates tuberculosis day, health expert advises for a routine checkup  

the Bono Regional Deputy Director for Public Health, Dr. John Ekow Otoo says the general public must go for routine checkups of tuberculosis

World commemorates tuberculosis day, health expert advises for a routine checkup  
Dr. John Ekow Otoo

As the world commemorates International tuberculosis day, the Bono Regional Deputy Director for Public Health, Dr. John Ekow Otoo is advocating for the general public to make it a habit to go for routine checkups on the stands as far as the disease is concerned.

According to him, such moves are the only way Tuberculosis can be eradicated.

He said early diagnosis of the disease determines one's stance of surviving it hence his calls.   

Each year, we commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.

The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.

TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers. Each day, nearly 4000 lose their lives to TB and close to 28,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease. Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 63 million lives since the year 2000.

The theme of World TB Day 2021 - ‘The Clock is Ticking’ –conveys the sense that the world is running out of time to act on the commitments to end TB made by global leaders.

This is especially critical in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that has put End TB progress at risk, and to ensure equitable access to prevention and care in line with WHO’s drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Nana Ama Asiedu, Bono Region