US reaffirms commitment to fighting TB in Mozambique

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

US reaffirms commitment to fighting TB in Mozambique

2:36 CAT | 25 Mar 2022

File photo: Twitter / @USEmbassyMaputo

The United States Embassy in Mozambique on Thursday, World Tuberculosis Day, reaffirmed its commitment to assisting Mozambique eliminate tuberculosis as a public health problem.

An embassy press release said that TB is the fifth leading cause of death in Mozambique, and the main cause of death among Mozambicans who are HIV-positive.

The embassy noted that Mozambique is now poised to reach the target set by WHO (World Health Organization) of testing and treating 90 percent of all estimated TB cases annually.

It added that this year the U.S. Government will invest $13.4 million to support continued TB control efforts.

Cited in the release, the Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy, Abigail Dressel, said, “The partnership between Mozambique and the United States to fight TB is saving Mozambican lives. By finding, testing, and treating people with TB and strengthening the healthcare system overall, together, we can successfully eliminate TB in Mozambique.”

No #DiaMundialdaTuberculose, os #EUA reafirmam o compromisso de ajudar #Moçambique a eliminar a #TB como um problema de saúde pública. “A parceria entre Moçambique e os E.U.A. no combate à TB está a salvar vidas moçambicanas…” – Abigail Dressel, Encarregada de Negócios. pic.twitter.com/Ub54aCc7yV

— Embaixada dos EUA em Moçambique (@USEmbassyMaputo) March 24, 2022

The release added that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) support the Ministry of Health’s National Tuberculosis Control Program (PNCT) and the National Institute of Health (INS) network of TB reference laboratories.

“The U.S. Government funds training for community health workers and volunteers, improvements to the transport of specimens and test results, and the creation of public health messaging campaigns to increase awareness about TB symptoms, ultimately leading to quicker diagnosis and treatment”, the embassy said. “U.S. government programs also strengthen the country’s TB laboratory network and diagnostic capacity, ensuring that people get the testing and treatment they need”.

The embassy praised the “impressive results” from Mozambique’s TB prevention and treatment drive, with 90 percent of new and relapsed TB cases and 88 percent of patients with TB/HIV co-infection successfully treated.

The release noted that “while some countries saw significant drops in the number of TB cases identified during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mozambique maintained its pre-COVID performance. Additionally, Mozambique’s patient-friendly decision to provide TB treatment in patients’ homes was a success, with no drop in treatment completion rates during the pandemic”.

Source: AIM