He urged participants at a health volunteers workshop at Tati River Lodge to inform the public about the technology that is available at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital and Area W Clinic. "This machine is available in Francistown at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital and Area W Clinic. Inform the public about this new development and encourage them to test for TB whenever they have symptoms," she said. She explained that the machine uses molecular test to detect mycobacterium culture DNA from a sample of sputum, body fluids or tissues. She said this is more sensitive than sputum microscopy and the results are available within two hours. The Nyangabgwe Hospital medic was addressing Botswana Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS (BONEPWA) community volunteers from Ngami, Gantsi, Okavango and Chobe on the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis at BONEPWA Maatla project workshop. She said that there is another TB of meningitis, whose symptoms are headache, fever, neck stiffness, and decreasing of mental status.
Its diagnosis is cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF), which usually shows raised white cells count with elevated protein and reduced glucose. She said that TB is a leading cause of death in Botswana, especially in people with HIV. She said TB is highly contagious and Botswana has one of the highest rates of the disease but it can be prevented and cured. "If early diagnosis is done, it is easier to be managed and cured. It is your responsibility as community volunteers to educate the public to always test for TB if they have symptoms related to it so that treatment can be started while there is still time," she said.
