No more injections to treat TB
A FEAR of needles is no longer an excuse for Campbell residents to avoid TB treatment after the Northern Cape MEC for Health, Fufe Makatong, launched the bedaquiline expansion TB treatment campaign on the weekend.
The initiative forms part of the “Thuma Mina” campaign as the provincial Department of Health aims to reduce the scourge of one of South Africa’s greatest public health concerns.
“Campbell was identified based on statistical data for the provincial launch of an injection-free treatment regimen to all newly diagnosed drug-resistant TB patients based on good clinical evidence relevant to bedaquiline treatment regiments,” said department spokesperson, Lebogang Majaha.
“This treatment programme changed from an injectable treatment plan, to that of a tablet form, with the same effect for treating TB.”
Majaha explained that the department started implementing the Bedaquiline Clinical Access Programme (BCAP) in 2013 with only two patients.
“This treatment was primarily used for pre-extensively drug-resistant (Pre XDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB patients who had limited treatment options.
“In 2015, the Province commenced the bedaquiline scale-up and by March this year, 481 patients had been initiated across the Province.
“Currently, the Province initiates 28 patients per month.”
During Friday’s proceedings, Etienne Baatjies, a cured XDR patient from the community, encouraged members of the public to change their lifestyle behaviour and adhere to treatment as he is living proof of having been free from TB for the past two years, after been diagnosed with XDR-TB for six years.
Makatong encouraged residents to heed this advice, adding that the department would be monitoring the programme.
“As a Province, we have established a provincial nerve centre for weekly reporting and monitoring of the number of new cases initiated on the bedaquiline programme.
“Whilst we have made a substantial progress, we cannot afford to be complacent. We have come a long way but TB is most definitely not over and it needs our collective effort to control it.”
The programme will soon be phased in at the Dr Harry Surtie and West End specialised hospitals, followed by the Joe Slovo CHC and Abraham Esau Hospital in the Namakwa district
“The readiness assessments of competent Nurse Initiation of Multidrug-Resistant TB (NIMDR) sites will assist in meeting the criteria for expansion – looking at equipment, medicine availability and recording and reporting systems,” Majaha concluded.