22 Jan 2017

Humana People to People (HPP) Botswana has been contracted to implement the Tuberculosis (TB) in Mining Societies (TIMS) programme.

A press release from the organisation says HPP Botswana implement the pilot package C: TB screening and active case finding as from July 2016 to December 2017 in Palapye, Francistown and Selebi-Phikwe towns.

TB in Mining Sector project covers the region of Southern Africa. The TIMS programme started from a recognised need for a regionally harmonised response to the issue of TB and related illnesses in mineworkers, ex-mineworkers, their families, called key-populations.

The regional TB Programme covers 10 countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The release states that Mineworkers in Southern Africa are at a higher risk of TB due to increased occupational risk factors from mineral dust, overcrowding and poor ventilation in mines.

It continues to say TB is 100 per cent curable but mine worker migration to mines for work affects their adherence to treatment and consequently contributes to the occurrence of drug resistant TB that makes it difficult to recover.

It further states that HIV infection and lack of nutrition makes people vulnerable to infection and ART treatment is necessary for them to be cured for TB.

TB screening was carried out in all three places and by mid-January, 4 350 people had been screened and will be followed by collection of sputum and referrals for treatment and training of family members on prevention of infection

The release says TIMS programme needs to reach its target population, being all vulnerable mine workers and their families to be successful in the reduction of TB, thus the need to reach out to mine workers through both print and broadcasting media. BOPA