Tuberculosis, every year 1.3 million people die from it and 10 million become ill, in Africa there are 23% of cases and over 30% of deaths

ROMA – Every year 1.3 million people die from tuberculosis and 10 million become ill. In Africa, where 23% of cases and over 30% of global deaths are recorded, CUAMM Medici con l’Africa continues to work to combat this disease with “catastrophic costs”. According to the World Health Organization, it is in Africa where the catastrophic costs of the disease are recorded and a crucial problem for access to treatment remains.

The commitment to end the epidemic. On the occasion of World Tuberculosis Daywhich occurs on March 24, theOms launches the appealYes! We can end TB!” renewing the importance of making a concrete commitment to accelerate progress towards ending the tuberculosis epidemic. A commitment like that Cuamm has been carrying on for over 70 years in the hospitals where it intervenes, meeting patients and diagnosing TB, but also working together with local communities to combat inequalities in access to treatment and raise awareness among the population of a disease that can be prevented and treated.

Catastrophic healthcare costs. “Africa is among the continents most affected by tuberculosis, but it is also the continent that has grown the most in terms of access to diagnostic and treatment services – explains Andrea Atzori, head of International Relations at Cuamm. An improvement which, however, is not sufficient to cope with the “catastrophic costs” that a person must face both for the timing of correct diagnosis and for the medical costs of drugs, biomedical tests, radiology, consultations and hospitalization. Added to all this is the loss of income during the period of illness, which disables people, and the expenses linked to the long journeys necessary to access hospitals and healthcare facilities.”

The risks of discrimination. “Strengthening African health services is essential, but it is equally important to identify support strategies for patients and their families by reducing costs, improving access to diagnostic services, creating support programs at local community level and ensuring that people affected by tuberculosis are not discriminated against or stigmatized – continues Atzori. It is therefore necessary to also address the social and economic determinants, not just the disease itself. Inequalities in access to care and the costs associated with diagnosis and treatment remain crucial issues that must be addressed to effectively combat the TB epidemic with the involvement of all partners and all levels of care, from hospitals to community”.

Field work. It is the one carried out with communities and local health systems, therefore, it becomes central. An example of this is Ethiopia where Cuamm is implementing the project “Fight against TB: the community, health units and authorities come together to promote prevention, early diagnosis and treatment” promoted by AICS 5% Global Fund and in collaboration with the University of Bari Aldo Moro and the South West Shoa Zone Health Department.

The project to increase prevention. “The 18-month project aims to increase access to prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and follow-up services for TB patients in health centers in Wolisso Town, Wolisso Rural and Goro. In addition to ensuring the quality of services, it is essential to ensure that local communities are aware of them and understand their importance. With the “Fight against TB” project, CUAMM operators work to influence people’s opinions on the disease and improve knowledge of the symptoms to reduce the incidence of the disease” underlines Luisa Gatta, representative Cuamm in Ethiopia.

The training of new healthcare workers. From January 2023 Cuamm has trained more than 100 health workers in the South West Zone and over 170 figures who act as intermediaries between communities and the health system. Training, in fact, is the first and fundamental step to increase the quantity and quality of preventive measures, screening and contact tracing techniques. «To support healthcare personnel, moments of updating and discussion are periodically organised, during which critical issues and possible solutions are identified together. The health centers in the area, which on average carry out 900 TB screenings per month, are also provided with medicines to treat the disease” continues Luisa Gatta.

The 8 awareness sessions. But that’s not all: in the districts of Wolisso Town, Wolisso Rural and Goro with the project “Fight against TB” Cuamm he is also committed to promoting prevention through the art of theatre. 8 awareness sessions were organized in schools involving 6 thousand students and 10 theatrical performances in public places with the participation of over five thousand people. Since the start of the project, during these appointments, over 16,200 screenings have been conducted in schools, markets, at the entrance to health clinics, in kebeles, but also in workplaces and prisons. «Theatre allows us to more easily understand all the information regarding the disease from when it manifests itself, develops, is transmitted to when it is treated, with a different emotional impact compared to a simple explanation» concludes Gatta.

The example of Uganda. Even in Uganda, with the “SCALE – Increasing coverage of TB prevention and treatment services in Karamoja” project carried out with the contribution of the Fondation Assistance Internationale (FAI), CUAMM’s commitment is proceeding at a rapid pace in five districts of the region, which is the poorest in the country. Prevention, screening and follow-up activities are carried out in health facilities and local communities which allow a greater number of cases to be diagnosed and the loss of patients undergoing treatment to be reduced. In the last year, more than 3,400 village health workers were involved, taking care of 7,936 patients with TB and bringing 1,407 patients who had suspended treatment back into treatment.

The 78 mobile cynics. Also in the last year, 78 mobile clinics were activated which made it possible to raise awareness and test 7,931 people in the most remote areas of southern Karamoja. On-the-job training sessions were conducted in 73 level 3 healthcare facilities and 36 level 2 facilities. As part of the project, work is also being done to improve the treatment of patients suffering from multidrug-resistant TB (Mdr TB).

What is Doctors with Africa CUAMM. Born in 1950, Medici con l’Africa Cuamm is the first NGO in the health field recognized in Italy and the largest Italian organization for the promotion and protection of the health of African populations. It carries out long-term projects with a development perspective, intervening with this approach, even in emergency situations, to guarantee quality services accessible to all. Today the NGO is involved in 8 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda) with over 4,500 operators in the field, of which 230 are Italian. It supports 23 hospitals, 80 districts (for public health activities, maternal and child care, the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and training), 3 nursing schools (in South Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia) and a university in Mozambique .