NGO Screens 120 Orphans For TB In Jos

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By Blessing Odega

Breakthrough Action Nigeria, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has conducted free Tuberculosis (TB) screening on 120 children at the House of Recap Orphanage in Jos.

Dr Olubumi Ojelade, the Programme Officer, Tuberculosis, Breakthrough Action -Nigeria,
said on Thursday that the screening was to commemorate the National Tuberculosis Child Testing Week, which commenced on May 27 and would end on June 2.

Ojelade said the organisation was at the orphanage to sensitise the children and staff about
the disease and to screen the children for the disease.

She added that the child testing week was to help tackle the challenge of TB case finding, especially among children and to combat the spread of the disease.

The programme officer, who said TB is preventable and curable, urged parents and guardians to report to the nearest health facility if their children or wards experience persistent cough exceeding two weeks and excessive sweat at night.

She also called on parents to go to the hospital if a child is not growing well, as the symptoms point toward the disease.

According to her, TB screening and treatment in both children and adults are done free of charge.

She advised the public to call the toll-free line 3340 or send an SMS to *3340# to make enquiries about the disease or to find the nearest health facility where they could access TB screening and treatment.

Earlier, Mr Tony Tonyin, the Head of Admin and Finance at the House of Recap Orphanage, who received the NGO, commended Breakthrough Action Nigeria for choosing the orphanage for the TB screening.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Breakthrough Action Nigeria is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) project designed to increase the practice of priority health behaviours.

The organisation’s areas of focus are: malaria; maternal, newborn, and child health, including nutrition (MNCH+N); family planning/reproductive health; and tuberculosis.

The project works closely with federal and state ministries of health and other USAID implementing partners. NAN

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