New TB drug launched
Aurum Institute in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, has launched a new Tuberculosis Preventive Therapy (TPT) drug at the Agomanya St Martin’s de Porres Catholic Hospital in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern Region.
The drug, 3HP, which was funded by Unitaid is to protect people most vulnerable to developing active TB.
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The target group would receive a quality–assured, affordable, short-course TB preventive treatment known as 3HP, consisting of two antibiotics that treat TB (isoniazid and rifapentine), given weekly for three months.
In Ghana, the project is being implemented in 12 selected facilities in the Greater Accra, Eastern, Ashanti and Western regions in collaboration with the National TB and AIDS Control Programmes. The project aims at promoting TPT for household contacts of TB patients, children under five years and People Living with HIV (PLHIVs).
Launch
The National TB Control Manager, Dr Yaw Adusi-Poku, who, together with other health practitioners launched the programme, noted that TB was rampant everywhere in the country amid COVID-19 and frantic efforts were being made to reduce its infections drastically if the prescribed health measures were adhered to.
He said a study in the health sector revealed that active disease cases recorded were 12,433 in 2020.
He said the health sector did not want the country to get to that level, hence the new strategy to prevent children under five years and those infected with the HIV to get treated with the new drug.
Dr Adusi-Poku said TB was real just like HIV and COVID-19, but it was curable with very potent medications and, therefore, stressed the need for people who coughed for a number of days, as well as those who lost weight to visit hospitals to be cured in case they were infected.
TB devastation
The Medical Superintendent of the Agomanya St Martin’s de Porres Hospital, Dr Stephen Kusi, said the facility had seen the devastation of TB on clients, their families, community and the stigma associated with it. He explained that it was because for a long time the facility served communities with prevalence of HIV, saying ‘’HIV/TB co infection and the high mortality is seen on a daily basis’’.
Dr Kusi said in 2020, the facility screened 725 compared to 4,691 in 2019.
He said out of the number, 119 were diagnosed, 78 initiated, 437 were tested, 81 referred to communities, with 53 HIV coinfections and seven deaths.
“All these indices decreased compared to 2018, 2019 because of COVID-19”.
The Medical Superintendent gave an assurance that the preventive treatment which proved to be effective in preventing TB and stopped the transmission was going to be a great addition to the facility’s arsenal on defeating TB in the Krobo community.
Support
The Programme Manager of the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, who chaired the function, lauded Arurum Institute for supporting the Ghana Health Service in many ways including technical assistance for good health delivery in the country.
A member of TB Voice Network, a group of cured TB patients, Mr Jerry Amoah-Larbi, said if “we want to end TB in Ghana, then 3HP or TPT is the key”.