United to End TB
For Immediate Release
March 24, 2016
United to End TB
Hargeisa, Somaliland- The World TB Day, will be celebrated this year on March 24, 2016. The event seeks to build public awareness that tuberculosis (TB) remains an epidemic, causing nearly one and a half million deaths each year, mostly in developing countries. This is a day to take action and a call on stakeholders to intervene to reduce these deaths.
The theme for this year is “United to end TB” and it calls for everyone irrespective of their nationality, gender or age to end TB. This day is therefore, an opportunity to mobilize everyone to work towards prevention of the disease for effective end in the TB cases.
“The day is an opportunity to inspire and undertake the urgent need to end TB. People are still missing out on diagnosis and are suffering as a result. Currently there are over 50 per cent of TB patients who still remain undetected. We want to reach as many of these with the message that TB is preventable and treatable at no cost and that united we can end TB”, says World Vision Country Director, Simon Nyabwengi.
Up to date, the treatment ratio has been brought down to 100,000 people per TB centre from 500,000 people per TB centre in 2004.
Currently there are 73 TB centres operating in Somalia supported by World Vision together with 23 local and international partners as well as government authorities across various regions. These partners have been working with World Vision for more than 10 years. The partnership has dramatically improved community’s resilience across the country.
Dr. Vianney, the Global Fund Programme Director says that World Vision has managed the TB fund for Somalia since 2004 and has transformed the lives of people.
“The treatment success rate is at 88 per cent. In addition, Somaliland and Mogadishu currently have a specialized centre that treats Multi-Drug Resistance TB (MDR-TB). The first cohort of 172 patients completed their treatment last year in December and plans are under way to have a similar centre in Puntland,” he says.
The TB program in Somalia is funded by the Global fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
-ENDS-
For more information please contact:
Marion Vera Aluoch
World Vision Somalia
Communication Officer
0633152230
Dr. Vianney Rusagara
Global Fund Programme Director
World Vision Somalia
Vianney_Rusagara@wvi.org
+252 2440 3644
Ahmed Hussein Zubayr
Advocacy/Communication Coordinator
World Vision Somalia
ahmed_zubayr@wvi.org
+252 90-779 3746 or +252 90-762 0638