36 | The Lion King
Health Tips
Tuberculosis
(TB)
By Dr. E. G. Okafor-Mbah
are screened and certified free
before they join our household.
At our work places, the same
principle obtains – spacious,
not crowded and well venti-
lated offices staffed by properly
screened and certified workers.
In the community, federal, state
and local health departments
have the primary responsibility
for preventing and controlling TB.
However, Health Care Providers,
Managed Care providers, Medi-
cal Associations and Corporate
bodies share this responsibility.
The strategy is:
1. Mass education of the public
2. Wide coverage of vaccina-
tions against TB and other
communicable diseases.
3. Identifying and treating
persons with TB.
4. Identifying, screening and
treating all infected contacts
of persons with TB.
5. Eliminating poverty, poor
nutrition/malnutrition,
overcrowded and poorly
ventilated homes, etc.
In summary, TB is a highly infec-
tious, very treatable and pre-
ventable disease. It is transmitted
from person to person through
tiny droplets expelled into the air
by infected individuals.
Together, we can prevent and
control TB by making sure that
our children are vaccinated
against TB and other com-
municable diseases, avoiding
contact with TB infected peo-
ple, while ensuring that they
are properly treated for TB. We
should also join the effort to
eliminate poverty, malnutrition,
poor and overcrowded living
conditions.
T
uberculosis (TB) is a disease
that has plagued humans
since antiquity. It is an infec-
tious (communicable) disease
caused by a bacterium called
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis or
Tubercle Bacilli.
TB affects one third of the
world’s population and is the
world’s most common cause of
death from infectious diseases,
only second to HIV/AIDS.
Over 95% of TB cases are in
developing countries. Seventy-
five per cent (75%) or more of
these are in the employable and
productive age group of 15-50
years.
TB is a serious but remarkably
treatable infectious disease. It
can infect virtually every organ
in the body. However, it affects
the lungs 80% of the time.
TB is not a poison, neither is it
sent by witches and wizards as
erroneously believed in many
of our native communities. It is
spread from person to person
through the air. When a TB in-
fected person coughs, sneezes,
speaks, or laughs etc, tiny infec-
tious droplets are generated
and expelled into the air. The
droplets can remain suspended
in the air for many hours.
If another person inhales air
containing these tiny droplets,
transmission may occur. TB is not
sexually transmitted but may be
transmitted through deep mouth
kissing.
Those at the greatest risk of de-
veloping TB are:
1. Those in close contact with
TB infected people. These
infected people maybe
family members, co-workers,
roommates, friends, domestic
staff (house helps and drivers)
etc.
2. Underprivileged people living
in overcrowded and poorly
ventilated homes.
3. Malnourished people.
4. People with HIV/AIDS,
diabetes, cancer, and other
immune suppressing diseases.
5. People in prisons and other
overcrowded institutions.
TB has many symptoms in com-
mon with many other diseases.
Its most common symptoms are:
• Cough lasting many weeks
• Cough that produces copious
sputum (may be blood
stained)
• Weight loss
• Fever with night sweating
• Difficulty breathing
TB is very responsive to treat-
ment. Most infected people
become un-infectious within two
weeks of starting anti TB therapy.
The duration of treatment is be-
tween 6-9 months.
To prevent and control TB we
have to start with our families, in-
clude our work places and then
the community at large.
In our families, we must ensure
that our children receive BCG
vaccination at birth and up to
age one; that our homes are not
overcrowded and are well ven-
tilated, that our domestic staff
X-ray of lungs and thorax with upper lobes -
tuberculosis on both sides
Dr. E. G. Okafor-Mbah is a medical
doctor at First Dominican Hospital,
Surulere - Lagos, Nigeria.
