Rabiu Omaku
Available records has shown that 12,874 persons in Nasarawa state are carriers of Tuberculosis, the state Director Department of public health and Tuberculosis control, Dr.Danjuma Aboki has revealed.
He hinted this during an exclusive interview with selected Journalists in the state, he said the record was captured as from 2012-2016, he hinted that 80% of Tuberculosis in Nasarawa state are pulmonary (lung) TB while 20% of the ailment are extra pulmonary TB.
Aboki listed some of the sign and symptoms of TB to include urinate with blood, cough, fever, chest pain, difficulty in breathing, loss of appetite which said has adverse effect on the vertebra column.
He listed some of the preventive measures to include high level of awareness on the incessant intake of cow milk, uses of rooms with cross ventilation, uses of handkerchief by carrier, uses of container by carriers.
Dr.Danjuma Aboki also called on the general public to avoid over crowdedness, saying this will break the chain of transmission, when asked whether HIV/Aid has any link with Tuberculosis the public health officer said TB cannot cause HIV but HIV can cause TB.
He described HIV/TB patients as persons with core infection, adding that anti TB can be used on TB patients and anti-retro vaccine can be used on patients with the two ailments
Dr.Aboki said those pulmonary TB are placed on 6 months treatment while the other group are placed on 20 months drugs as he said those people are under drug resistance.
On the death toll of people living with Tuberculosis, he averred that 20% of TB/HIV victims died, Dr Aboki asserted that the state has 13 Genexpert centres with 90 TB centres respectively..
Speaking on the response to treatment, Dr.Danjuma Aboki said 82% of Tuberculosis patients have been treated.
He opined that Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital ranked the highest in times of referral centre with the highest patients followed by Federal Medical Centre, Keffi and Aloshi having the least number of patients.
