TB Youth Games athlete ready for home

Mpho Mokwape | Wednesday October 8, 2014 17:03

The athlete was diagnosed with Multiple Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) five months ago while in the country for the successfully hosted youth games. 

Local health authorities subsequently quarantined her at the Extension 12 TB Isolation Centre to avoid spread of the highly contagious disease.

Former Botswana Youth Games Organising Committee (BAYGOC) president, Tuelo Serufho, confirmed yesterday that the teenage athlete has successfully fought off the disease and was ready to go home. During her quarantine, hospitalisation and recovery, her aunt who provided her with familial support had joined the girl.

“In the five months that she was admitted, she responded well to treatment and she was even able to be released from the hospital into the care of her aunt who has been the caregiver,” Serufho said.

He said: “We are happy now that she has been given the clear to travel again.”

Serufho confirmed that the athlete and her aunt would be leaving for the Congo later this month, but could not provide further details. 

He said the matter was now a diplomatic issue, as the duo needed visas to pass through other countries.

He revealed that after the athlete was initially quarantined, arrangements were made for her family to join her in the country, as her coach, who initially remained behind with her, had other obligations.

“This was a joint effort between the Ministry of Health, BAYGOC and relevant authorities in Congo Brazzaville, which ensured that the athlete received proper treatment and care,” he said.

When the teenager’s plight came to light in July, Mmegi established that the World Health Organisation (WHO) was closely following the matter in line with its policies that a patient cannot be returned to a country from where he cannot access medication.

The policy meant that the Botswana government had to finance the athlete’s treatment.

The youth games brought more than 2,500 athletes to Gaborone with the organising committee and health authorities keenly on the lookout for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and Ebola. MDR-TB develops in otherwise treatable TB when the course of antibiotics is interrupted and the levels of drugs in the body are insufficient to kill 100 percent of the bacteria.

According to WHO, a patient who develops an active disease with a drug-resistant TB strain, can transmit this form of TB to other individuals.

Various health care experts state that this form of TB is difficult and costly to treat and can be fatal.