February 2, 2020

TB successfully challenged

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Anashe Murombedzi

The curtain came down on the Challenge TB ( CTB) programme as the five year journey to eradicate the disease through a collaborative effort by the Government of Zimbabwe and its partners came to a close on Thursday.

The closing ceremony held in Harare celebrated the achievements and experiences during the implementation of the project to end tuberculosis by 2035 in Zimbabwe and other African countries.

CTB collaborated with The Union, World Health Organization (WHO) and USAID in implementing the programme in Zimbabwe and more than 20 other African countries.  Dr Charles Sandy, the national TB programme manager in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, who led the project said TB related deaths had declined in Zimbabwe.

Jane Msongeya, a beneficiary of the project who underwent a six months treatment programme, is grateful.

“I was sick for a long time and lost weight. My friends thought I was
bewitched and they tried to help me with traditional herbs but it
didn’t work until CTB discovered that I had TB. They helped me with
medication and now I have recovered,” she said.

Health and Child Care Minister, Obadiah Moyo said the Zimbabwean government is impressed with the collaborative efforts and the help from USAid.

“Special thanks goes to the United States Government for their
generous financial support over the last five years, strengthening the
national TB-HIV response, ” Dr Moyo said.

Zimbabwe has a high prevalence of TB cases but its programmes to fight the disease have been commended by health experts.

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