Classrooms in schools are crowded which offers a special risk of exposure and transmission of tuberculosis. In Bhutan, according to the Health Ministry’s data, more than twenty per cent of 809 TB patients were students last year. Observing World Tuberculosis Day today, the health ministry took the awareness program to schools this time.
Bhutan plans to eliminate Tuberculosis by 2030. But it continues to be one of the major public health concerns in the country. According to the health ministry, lack of understanding of TB among students, delays in seeking health care and poor ventilation in most schools are some of the challenges.
By talking to students and creating awareness in schools, the ministry expects a wider coverage of TB prevention.
‘‘We have sent health workers to all the schools because as per the Annual report of 2022, 21 per cent of the TB patient were students, among which we also detected 61 MDR TB in 2022, and among this 25 per cent were students. So because of this, we are giving more importance to the awareness to the schools,’’ said Rixin Jamtsho, Chief Programme Officer of the Department of Public Health.
‘‘We have celebrated the day to create awareness among all the students about TB. This is because as per the health report, TB is mostly spread among students. We initiated the program to create awareness of its detection and prevention,’’ said Yesh B. Ghalley, the Principal of Yangchenphug HSS.
‘‘If one person gets TB, in a year that person will spread it to seven to 10 people. The number will only increase if the patient is not careful. If we do treatment on time then it’s curable. But if we don’t take medicine on time, then it will become Multi-drug-resistant and it’s more dangerous,’’ said Tshering, the Health Assistant at JDWNRH.
Students said such initiatives will not only benefit them but also will help them create awareness in their families.
‘‘If one person is affected by tuberculosis and coughs or sneezes near the person who is not affected, the bacteria present in the person will transmit to another person and get affected by tuberculosis. And tuberculosis is a curable disease,’’ said Tenzin Doelma, a student of Jigme Namgyel LSS.
‘‘We can create awareness among ourselves and fight TB,’ said Nekita Rai, a student of Yangchenphug HSS.
According to the health ministry, 26 people died from TB last year.
Karma Wangdi
Edited by Sonam Pem
