Regional medics undertake TB prevention course

A team of 24 medics from East Africa Friday underwent an International Basic Tuberculosis Infection Control Course.Through the regional Centre of Excellence on Programmatic Management of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (PMDT), the five-day training held at the School of Public Health in Kigali was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).“We shared experiences and learnt from each other the best practices which are evidence-based,” noted Dr. Fred Muhirwe, one of the participants from Rwanda.“This will help in harmonising our services in fighting and preventing TB based on international standards.” He said the training strengthened their competences to manage, administer and control the disease.The Project Coordinator at the School of Public Health, Dr Francine Birungi, said participants are expected to pass on the acquired skills to other medical practitioners. “Amongst the 15 trained medics are directors of hospitals; meaning that they have to play a central role in making sure that the training benefits many other doctors to build their capacity in serving TB patients,” she said.The head of TB and other Respiratory Communicable Diseases at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), Dr. Michel Gasana, said there was a decline in the rate of new infections. “According to the records from each health centre and hospitals, the number of new infections has been decreasing each year.” Gasana attributed the success to the national strategic plan that aims at confronting the disease by enabling free access to treatment, even in rural areas.“Through decentralisation of our services, we buy drugs and make sure that each hospital has enough based on the registered cases,” he disclosed.

National

Regional medics undertake TB prevention course