Men have been ordered to stop traveling far to get tested for TB disease as they are the youngest among those tested.
This call was made by the Deputy President of the country Mr. Paul Mashatile yesterday, in celebration of World TB Day, in the Western Cape. He said this disease is curable but it still destroys a lot of people in this country and around the world.
“We are calling on men to be tested for this disease because they are the ones who travel far from being tested. In the past 11 months, statistics show that few men are tested for this disease since it is the most common disease. We also urge those who are taking its medication not to stop, but to take it until it is gone,” he said.
He said that this disease hits hard for those affected by HIV/AIDS. He also revealed that 3.5 million people have been tested for the disease since the testing campaign started last year.
“We want to increase the number of people who are tested for this virus in order to fight its spread. There is a glimmer of hope that we will win the battle against this disease. It is the largest number of people who are tested for TB in this country.”
He said that people who have been in contact with a person with TB should be tested to ensure that they are not infected with it.
The Minister of Health in the country, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, said that the campaign launched last year is to test 5 million people a year for this disease. He said people think that this disease is only related to chest but it is not.
“We live anywhere in the body. We can live in a woman’s womb, and in other places in the body,” he said.