Garissa residents have been urged to go for Tuberculosis screening because it is treatable.
Women for Education Health Development senior manager Absa Mohamed urged residents to avoid false narratives that prevent them from getting screened.
“TB is killing our people, let's join hands and get screened,” Mohamed said.
He spoke on Saturday during the World TB Day celebrations.
This year's theme is Invest to End TB.
St John's Ambulance Northeastern regional commissioner, Moris Ogoye, thanked WOHED and other non-governmental organisations for stepping up TB screening and treatment in the region.
Ogoye said Kenyans have continued ignoring the deadly disease that develops resistance to drugs over time.
He said TB symptoms are similar to those of HIV-Aids.
“It’s becoming difficult to differentiate the symptoms. That is why we are advocating for early screening and treatment,” Ogoye said.
“The disease is treatable if detected early enough. We should continue sensitising Kenyans on the need for screening.”
He said patients who seek treatment are dying because the disease is already at an advanced stage.
WOHED senior official Antony Njoroge said the organisation deals with TB community advocacy in collaboration with the county and national governments through different partners.
Njoroge said the organisation focuses on the need for the residents to go for early TB screening because cases are on the rise.
He said there were 791 patients on TB treatment and a majority of them are from Garissa.
“This indicates there are people out there who have contracted TB without knowing. Let's avoid spreading the disease by seeking early treatment,” Njoroge said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
