Story Workshop dispels misconception on TB and HIV/AIDS

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Story workshop has dispelled the misconception of associating Tuberculosis (TB) with HIV/AIDS.

In an interview, Story Workshop project officer Given Chichitike said the organisation is concerned with the tendency of some Malawians who associate the two diseases a development which makes a lot of TB patients to shun going to the hospital for screening.

hiv-ribbonChichitike said people in the country should know that TB is curable than HIV/AIDS hence they should go for screening once they notice signs and symptoms of the disease.

“We are very concerned with people relating TB with HIV/AIDS, they say once someone has TB he or she automatically has AIDS, this is not true because there are differences between TB and HIV/AIDS thus TB has cure and HIV has not.” Chichitike said.

He said research showed that people with TB were failing to seek treatment in fear of being found with HIV which prompted the organization with funding from Global fund through Action Aid Malawi to be holding awareness campaigns in 28 districts including Dedza with a target of 1.5 million people through 166 theatre for development groups (drama groups) across the country.

He added that: “As the initiative ends in December next month, at the moment more than 1.2 million people have been reached with awareness messages on the disease. What happens is that during the campaigns we record people who attend the meetings so this is how the number has been observed.”

Recently, Story Workshop held one of the sensitization meetings at Chule football ground in the area of Senior Chief Kaphuka, Dedza where various drama groups from the district performed with messages of sensitizing people to go for TB screening.

Commenting on the development, Dedza District Medical Officer Dr Gracewell Mathewe commended the Story Workshop for sensitizing people to go for TB screening in various Health facilities.

Dr Mathewe noted that the district is registering 10 cases of TB on average per month which he described as a wakeup call for health facilities in the district.

He however said “the hospital has not registered any defaulters on taking TB drugs which translate to 98% cure rate.”