TYW PARTICIPATES IN THE GLOBAL HANDS GAMBIA HEALTH FORUM

TYW attended the Global Hands Gambia Health Forum organized by Global Hands Gambia held at Jammeh Foundation for peace Hospital (JFPH), Bundung on 25^th April, 2015.

The four hours event started with a one minute silence in honor of our brothers and sisters who lost their lives through the back way.

Mr. Kebba Manneh, Staff of Jammeh Foundation for Peace Hospital gave the welcoming remarks and urged all participants to try as much as possible to get the right message on tuberculosis.

Jimmy Hendry Njally, Chairperson of Global Hands Gambia emphasized on the need for such forum. 

Participants at the Forum

According to Mr. Nzallly, TB is a deadly disease which most people do not know about.

He mentioned that one of the aims Global Hands, is to create the avenue and awareness forum for young people to take the lead and capitalize on thematic areas related to health.

Mr. Sainey Cham, Program Manager of NLTP stated that according to him, signs and symptoms of TB are usually detected within the first three weeks. He added that, WHO announced that three billion people around the globe are transferring the disease without treatment. He highlighted that the Gambia is fighting TB through conducting case studies, diagnoses and treatments. Mr. Cham concluded by stating that their target is to treat 100 TB patients per year.

The Laboratory

Dr. Yorro Bah, a medical expert stated that TB is one of the oldest diseases known to affect human beings and that 1.8 billion people die due to TB every year.

TYW representatives were taken through some facts on TB by some experts from JFPH. According to them, the signs and symptoms of TB include fever, night sweats, weight loss, Anorexia, general malaise, weakness and cough amongst others. They however encouraged that TB can be controlled and prevented by early treatment, avoiding overcrowding, ventilation, education and taking the BCG vaccine.

They were shown the TB statistics of JFPH from 2010 to 2015. These are as follows:

·      - In 2010, 612 people were suspected and got tested for T.B, 60 of them turned out positive and 552 were negative.

·        -  In 2011, 671 people were suspected and tested for T.B, 82 were and positive 589 remained negative.

·        -  In 2012, 1136 people were suspected and tested, 163 were positive and 973 remained negative.

·         - In 2013, 1133 patients were tested, 132 turned out smear positive and 1001 remained negative.

·      -  In 2014, 1046 patients were suspected and tested for TB, 119 were smear positive whilst 927 were smear negative.

A Cross Section of the Participants During Sessions at the Forum

In their observations, our representatives among other participants we noticed that, the more they suspect and test patients for TB, the higher the smear positive. It showed that there were many more people out there with the disease but were reluctant to come out and get tested. Dr. Yorro Bah urged the medical personnel present to try harder and get more people to volunteer and get tested for TB.

Later, participants were given a case study to give advice to a female TB patient who is hesitating to get treatment. Presentations were made on the case study. Another exercise was conducted which urged participants to identify six key messages that we needed to send out to the families of the patients that isolate themselves from TB victims due to their condition.  According to the two TYW representatives, the presentations were the most exciting part of the forum. 

TYW Representatives Kani Touray(Left) and Absa Samba(Right)

Finally, the forum ended with a tour of the laboratory. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions and saw their only blood bank. According to the lab scientist, they were having so many constraints when it comes to blood. She said that people are not willing to donate and when emergency arises, the only option they have is to contact people the y know.

We thank TYW for the opportunity! We are grateful!