Kwara govt urges residents to take advantage of free tuberculosis screening

The Kwara State Government has charged residents to take advantage of the free Tuberculosis screening across health facilities in the state to ascertain their status and ensure healthy living.

Amina Ahmed El-Imam,State Commissioner for Health, gave the charge in Ilorin during the flag-Off of Community Sensitization and Free Screening of Tuberculosis, facilitated by Ilorin East Local Government Area TB Champion and Wife of the Local Government Chairman, Lateefat Garba Agbelere.

El-Imam who represented the First Lady of Kwara State, Olufolake Abdulrazaq, described Tuberculosis as an airborne disease that is curable, emphasizing that the screening was necessary, for those with persistent coughs.

She maintained that, Tuberculosis remains one of the main causes of illness and death among the black race, therefore encouraged members of the public to form the habit of visiting government health facilities in their domains and shun self medication.

She therefore, called for concerted efforts to encourage suspected persons, to present themselves for the free screening, appealing to the traditional rulers to assist in the campaign against Tuberculosis and discourage stigmatization of affected persons.

The first lady lauded Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for encouraging Kwarans that the phenomenon is surmountable through increased access to prevention, treatment and stigma reduction, hence the free screening.

Buruli Ulcer and Fatima Lawal Lar,
The State Programme Officer for Tuberculosis, and Leprosy (TBL), respectively commended the organiser for championing the cause, appealing to members of the public to make themselves available for the screening.

In their separate remarks, the Chairman, Ilorin East Local Government Area and his wife who double as the LG TB Champion, Garba Lukman Agbelere explained that the free screening exercise programme was organized to complement government efforts at the grassroots.

They promised to join hand with government, in the fight against Tuberculosis, by taking the campaign to all towns and villages in the Local Government.

Also, Zubair Aremu, the representative of the Emir of Ilorin and Magaji Aree of Ilorin, commended the government for its intervention in the health sector, pledging the support of the people at the grassroots to the present administration in the fight against Tuberculosis, rid the state of the scourge.