The Gambia National Assembly members on Tuesday honoured a two-day sensitization workshop on tuberculosis held at Senegambia Beach Hotel, organized by the National T.B. Control Programme and funded by Global Fund. The objective of the Workshop is to empower policy makers with the knowledge and skills in supporting policy issues in the prevention and control of T.B. in The Gambia.

Declaring the workshop officially open, Dr. Mariatou Jallow said globally over 8 (eight) million die from this disease, and 95% of the incidence occurs in developing countries. Dr. Jallow asserted that 75% of T.B. cases are within the most economically productive age group of 15-54 years. She added that the data also indicates that most countries in the region have not yet reached the WHO targets of 70% and 85% treatment success rates. She pointed out that many factors are responsible, noting that at political and operational level, T.B. has been accorded relatively low priority by countries with regards to resources allocations, and that DOTs accessibility is still low.

Dr. Jallow proudly announced that tremendous improvement has been achieved in the area of T.B. Control in the country in the past years, noting that the proportion of smear positive P.T.B cases has increased to 66.7% in 2006 while 86% treatment – success was achieved in the 2005 cohort.

Mr. Adama Jallow, programme Manager for the National Leprosy and TB Programme (NLTP), said T.B. has been among the top diseases of great public health concern in the sub-Saharan Africa, including The Gambia.

He stated that given the magnitude of the T.B. and co-infection epidemic in Africa, it is important to note that efforts to mitigate these diseases have gone beyond the domains of the national control programmes.

Mr. Jallow commended NAMs for supporting the noble fight against T.B. which he said is tantamount to fighting poverty, as health economics describe T.B. as a disease of poverty.

Public health education consultant, Mr. Sheik Omar Dibba, describes the organism as mycobacterium Tuberculosis or human Tubercle bacillus, adding that pulmonary T.B. is the common form of T.B., which affects bones, eyes, kidneys, intestines and skin. Mr. Dibba revealed that in 2006 there were about 1,813 cases of T.B. in clinics around the country. He appealed to the NAMS to advocate for an increase in the national health budget to the National T.B. Control Programme.

The occasion was chaired by Kejaw Saidykhan, a senior official at the National TB Programme office.