Tuberculosis: The Time To Act Is Now

Earl Miller | Monday October 17, 2016 19:16

 

It may be tempting to shift our focus from tuberculosis as we throw our efforts toward halting the spread of HIV/AIDS in Botswana.  But the two diseases are tightly linked.  Two thirds of TB patients also have HIV.  We must fight the two diseases together to make real progress on either one.

This past Friday morning, the Ministry of Health re-launched the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory with the support of the US Government.  The lab opened with new, state-of-the-art facilities that can receive and analyse samples from every district in the country. 

Another powerful tool to combat tuberculosis is the new GeneXpert machine, an innovative testing system that can detect TB in less than two hours.  The United States Government has supported the roll-out of 34 GeneXpert machines across Botswana and helped train personnel to use them.

But even the most powerful tools and technology cannot end tuberculosis in Botswana unless individuals test for TB and follow proper treatment. 

When a person with tuberculosis goes untreated, it is much more likely the rest of their family will also become infected and the disease will spread through the community.  We must encourage people to seek immediate evaluation and treatment for a cough that persists longer than two weeks, to pursue free testing at clinics so they receive medication quickly, and to finish their entire course of treatment to prevent future antibiotic resistance.

The Government of Botswana has taken important steps to combat both TB and HIV.  The United States is a proud partner in these noble efforts.  The launch of Botswana’s “Treat All” policy by His Excellency President Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama providing ARVs to all Batswana living with HIV will significantly decrease new TB cases in the country.

Through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the US government has invested more than $40 million in the last decade in TB/HIV control in Botswana.  Through agencies including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the total US PEPFAR investment in Botswana over the past 13 years is roughly P7.9 billion, or 750 million U.S. dollars.

Bold efforts and proper lab facilities are needed now more than ever.  There has been a dangerous increase in the number of drug-resistant TB cases around the world, a situation that requires our immediate attention.  If left unchecked, drug-resistant TB could erase decades of global progress combatting the disease.  We can roll back this threat by encouraging widespread testing and ensuring the right technology and equipment are in the fight. 

We have made tremendous lifesaving progress together. But like our battle against HIV, we have much work to do.  Let us continue to work together to realise the goal of a TB-free generation in Botswana.

*Earl R. Miller is US Ambassador to Botswana.