| Q |
What
is TB? |
| A |
TB
stands for tuberculosis, which is a disease that affects
the lungs. The disease is spread through the air by coughing.
Small droplets of infected sputum are coughed into the air
by people who have a TB disease and then breathed in by
other people who do not have TB. This is how TB spreads
from one person to another. |
| Q |
How does TB spread and what are its symptoms? |
| A |
Tuberculosis of the lung (pulmonary TB) is the infectious form of the disease that spreads when a person with pulmonary TB coughs or sneezes. The organism that causes TB is then propelled into the air and spreads, putting those near the person with pulmonary TB at risk for infection. The symptoms of pulmonary TB include persistent cough (for 3 weeks or more), coughing up mucus or blood, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Symptoms may also include feeling weak and loss of appetite. |
| Q |
Who
is at risk of getting TB? |
| A |
People
who live in crowded condition and share the same breathing
space, also people who are underweight, or have an HIV infection,
or who are in poor health due to another illness. |
| Q |
What
can I do to prevent getting TB? |
| A |
You
can help reduce the risk of contracting TB by living and
working in well-ventilated rooms where there is an adequate
supply of fresh air and sunlight. Eat a nourishing diet
and get adequate sleep to help your body function at its
optimal performance. |
| Q |
How
do I know if I've got TB? |
| A |
The
symptoms of TB may include a persistent cough for more than
3 weeks, feeling weak, weight loss, having night sweats,
chest pains or coughing up blood. If you have any of these
symptoms contact your nearest clinic or doctor for advise.
|
| Q |
Is
there a cure for TB? |
| A |
Yes.
There has been a cure for TB in South Africa for many years.
To be cured requires that you take the medication prescribed
by your doctor or clinic, which lasts for six months. If
you do not complete the treatment programme you will continue
to have TB and spread it to others. You also risk developing
the most dangerous form of TB which does not respond to
normal Drugs. |
| Q |
What
can parents do if they think their children have TB? |
| A |
The
advice is the same as for an adult. Take your child immediately
to your local clinic for testing |
| Q |
When
you move to a new place how can this effect your TB treatment? |
| A |
It
is really important that when you move from one place to
another that there is no break in taking your medicine.
The clinic at which you received your initial treatment
has a transfer system and will refer you to a clinic in
the area to which you are going. You will be given a 'Pink'
slip to take with you. This slip has all your details and
a copy of this information is also sent to the new clinic.
If you are going to an area that is new to you, you will
be given a 'Green' card. This card has all your details
and a full history of your treatment. The new clinic will
be able to continue your treatment on the basis of the information
written on your card. Please keep your card in a safe place,
as this information is important to clinic staff. |
| Q |
If I think I've got TB where should I go for treatment? |
| A |
You
can go to your local clinic, doctor where you will be tested
for TB and gien treatment if you are found to have TB. You
will be requested to give a sputum sample which will be
sent to the laboratory where they will look for the TB germ.
|
| Q |
Where
can I get more information about TB? |
| A |
Your
local clinic, doctor, community health worker, traditional
healer as well as public libraries have information about
TB. |
| Q |
Who
gets TB? |
| A |
Anyone
can get TB. Throughout history many famous people, including
Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Margaret Gardiner, as well
ordinary individuals have been infected with TB. Generally
though, people who live in crowded conditions where other's
carry the TB bacteria, and who are stressed by other illnesses,
are prone to contracting TB. |
| Q |
Why
are people making such a fuss about TB? |
| A |
Because
160 000 people every year in South Africa are infected with
TB which kills more adults than any other infectious disease.
Ten thousand people die each year from TB and it is estimated
that 3.5 million people will have TB by the year 2005. More
than 30 million people around the world have died from this
disease between the period 1990 and 2000. Known as 'The
Captain of the Men of Death' it is a debilitating condition
that leads to wasting and death if left untreated. |
| Q |
If I'm HIV positive why do I have to be careful of TB? |
| A |
The
immune system in healthy individuals helps fight off sickness
by killing invading bacteria. that enter the body. The immune
system of a person with an HIV infection has to work harder
than the normal person to deal with the invading HIV infection,
leaving them more vulnerable to developing TB disease. Since
the symptoms are almost similar most people do not think
of Tb until it is too late and end up dying from TB when
it should not be the case. |
| Q |
Where
does TB come from and when was it first discovered? |
| A |
This
is still a matter of debate, but some scientists believe
that TB existed in animals long before it affected humans.
Around 8 000 years ago prehistoric peoples developed permanent
villages and began to domesticated cattle, swine, and sheep.
These animals often shared the same dwelling space in which
families lived making the spread of the TB bacterium between
animals and humans possible. |
| Q |
Why
do we still have TB? |
| A |
The most common reason is that people do not finish their
treatment. If you have TB you need to take your medicine
for six months to be cured of the TB infection. The problem
is that after a few weeks' people feel so well that they
stop their medication, but they are not cured of the TB
infection. Since the TB bacteria in the person's body has
already been exposed to TB drugs the bacteria may develop
a resistance, this means that repeating the treatment with
the same drugs will not cure the infection. This is known
as multidrug- resistance. Not only will the person continue
to have TB but they will continue to infect others with
the TB bacteria. In order to stop TB in South Africa over
80% of people with TB must be cured at the first attempt
of taking their medicines, so that they do not infect others. |
| Q |
How
do you treat TB? |
| A |
The treatment consists of taking the combination of tablets
Rifampicin, Pyrazynamide, Isoniazid and Ethambutol for two
months which is then changed to a combination tablet of
Rifampicin and Isoniazid for four months. During this time
you will be asked to make regular visits to your clinic
where staff will check your sputum. You will only be cured
of TB once you have taken all your medicines and your sputum
no longer shows the TB bacteria in your lungs. |
| Q |
Why
is very important for me to stick to my treatment programme? |
| A |
So
that you can be cured from the TB infection, which will
prevent you from developing complications. If you start
TB treatment and stop before the medicines are finished
you are at risk of developing multi-drug resistant TB. It
is very difficult and expensive to treat this form of TB.
Also if you are cured of the TB infection you will not be
able to transmit the infection to anyone else. For every
one person who has untreated TB can infect 10 other people
close to them. MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO A HEALTHER SOUTH
AFRICA BY TAKING YOUR TB TREATMENT AS PRESCRIBED. |
| Q |
Should
I consult a traditional healer about TB? |
| A |
Yes
you can choose to consult a traditional healer but make
sure that the person you consult is trained to recognise
TB symptoms so that you get the correct treatment. Some
traditional healers are working in partnership with clinics
to provide a service to the community. If the traditional
healer you consult does not recognize the signs and symptoms
of TB you should go to your nearest clinic for treatment.
|
| Q |
How
long does TB treatment last? |
| A |
Treatment
last for six months in which time you must take your medicine
every day without any breaks. |
| Q |
What
is multi-drug resistant TB? |
| A |
This
is term used to describe a TB infection that will not respond
to the drug normally used to treat TB. This happens when
people take TB drugs and do not complete the course of medication
given to them. People may decide that they feel better,
or the side effects of the medicine make them feel unwell,
and they stop taking the TB treatment. The person still
has TB and at some later stages seeks new treatment for
their TB. The medicine's given the second time around does
not work and the TB infection cannot be treated. It is a
dangerous practice to stop taking your TB medicines as you
are at risk of dying from TB. Completely different and expensive
drugs are used to treat this and treatment is for 18-24
months in a hospital and you may or may not be cured. Your
chance of a cure is 50%. |
| Q |
What
is the government doing to reduce TB in South Africa? |
| A |
The
South African Government spends more than 500 million on
TB control and treatment's every year to try and eliminate
TB in South Africa. TB diagnosis and treatment is free in
all public health facilities. The Government adopted Directly
Observed Treatment, Short- course (DOTS) a strategy developed
by the World Health Organization (WHO) this is a patient-
centred approach that helps support TB patients by observing
them while they take their medication and ensuring that
they complete their treatment. |
| Q |
Is everyone infected with TB capable of infecting others? |
| A |
No. Those infected with the bacillus that causes tuberculosis may have a dormant infection (meaning it is inactive or latent) and hence show no symptoms. In these cases, a healthy immune system "walls off" the TB bacilli, which can then lie dormant in their bodies for years. Those infected with dormant TB do not spread the disease, but they can become sick with an active case when their immune system is weakened ? for example by poor nutrition, old age, or HIV infection. Active TB patients are capable of infecting others and their symptoms include persistent cough (for three weeks or more), coughing up mucus or blood, fever, night sweat, and weight loss.
A person with dormant TB can receive prophylactic (preventive) treatment to keep the infection from becoming active. Treatment involves taking the drug Isoniazid for six months. WHO recommends preventive treatment for vulnerable individuals with dormant TB, particularly children under 5 years of age who live with someone who has active TB or persons infected with HIV. |
| Q |
Is it possible to treat childhood pneumonia at the community level? |
| A |
Yes. A recent analysis of community-based pneumonia case management studies estimated a 24% reduction in under-five mortality. Studies show that community health workers (CHWs) can effectively manage uncomplicated pneumonia in the community. The case management they performed included classifying respiratory infections based on respiratory rates and lower chest indrawing (forced retraction of the lower part of the chest with inspiration), treating non-severe pneumonia with antibiotics, and referring severe pneumonia cases, where possible.
Pneumonia is estimated to cause 18% of childhood (under five years old) mortality in developing countries in general. Studies show that utilization of health facilities remains low in many parts of the world and children are treated at home, through informal sector or by traditional healers. When children suffering from pneumonia are treated promptly and effectively with antibiotics their chances of survival increase significantly.
Prompt treatment of childhood pneumonia often involves bringing treatment closer to where the sick children are. This requires adequate training of CHWs, support, supervision and close links with functional health centers that have skilled professional staff, and adequate drug supply.
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Statement. Management of Pneumonia in Community Settings. May 2004. |
