Monitor to track TB underway

PILOT projects to have one-stop shop for HIV/ TB are soon to open doors in Seke in Harare and in the border town of Beitbridge.

THIS was said by country director of The Union, Zimbabwe, Dr Christopher Zishiri in Kwekwe last week during a meeting organised by the National AIDS Council for Meaningful Involvement of People Living HIV (MIPA).

Dr Zishiri said TB was fatal in Peo- ple Living HIV if not treated on time. machine which alerts in two hours if

“TB is fatal in People Living HIV bacteria sent for tests is drug resistif not treated on time. It is a major ant,” said Dr Zishiri. cause of death. We find that 80 per“Soon we will be able to monicent of TB patients also test HIV positor GXpert machine use from a centive. This co-relation has to be taken tre. This tracker will notify that the seriously,” said Dr Zishiri. machine at this district hospital is

“If 80 percent of our TB patients not working and it will be attended to are HIV+, why not prioritise that,” in the shortest possible time. It will he nudged our thinking. be possible again to see if a machine

“Our organisation, The Union is under used and find out why,” he partners thesaid.MinistryofHealth and Child Care in the TB field. Dr With such emphasis placed on Charles Sandy from the Ministry of quality treatment of TB, drug resistHealth heads the work we do in the ant TB will be manageable. country. The Union works in three Dr Zishiri said Zimbabwe curAfrican countries. We are in Zimbarently detects only eight percent of bwe, Uganda and Democratic RepubTB in children. lic of Congo,” he added. “We are currently detecting only

Dr Zishiri said his organisation eight percent of TB in children. It is brought expertise on TB and helped recommended that we detect 15 perwith resources in the national cent so we are still below the mark,” response to TB. said Dr Zishiri.

He said drug resistant TB had been Dr Zishiri went on to say work on noted in Matabeleland South and one- stop shop clinics was underway Bulawayo. in two sites.

In response to getting above the “We will have two sites for our TB/ challenge of drug resistant TB every HIV pilot project in Seke in Mashodistrict hospital now has a GXpert naland East and in Beitbridge. The machine. programme will be a one- stop shop

“Every district hospital now has a for treatment of the TB/HIV co-inGXpert machine. This is a specialised fection. After seeing how it fares in these two sites we then roll out to other sites nationally,” said Dr Zishiri.

Dr Zishiri lamented the length of drug resistant TB treatment and said this would be a thing of the past.

“It takes two years to treat drug resistant TB.

This is lengthy leading to default. A patient takes tablets and is on injections too. Research shows drug resistant TB can be treated successfully in nine months with the new efficacious medications now available.

We as a country will also be using the shorter drug resistant regimens,” he said.

Dr Zishiri said by year- end TB patients would also be screened for diabetes mellitus.

“There appears to be a relationship between TB and diabetes in Zimbabwe. So by year- end TB patients will be screened for diabetes mellitus too,” he said.

During a lung conference in Durban, South Africa in December 2015, new child friendly TB medications were unveiled.

The child friendly medications are syrups which are flavoured to be palatable to the little ones.

If TB is a challenge to detect in children and the country is to reach the recommended 15 percent detection then the new flavoured syrups are needed too like yesterday nationally.

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