First Mining Drc-Zambia Sep/Oct 2017 FMDRC-Zambia Sep Oct | Page 11

communities of these individuals ,” said Chirrime . Mounting health crisis TB is among the top ve causes of death in sub- Saharan Africa , accounting for 26 percent of the world ' s TB cases . One-third of the world ' s 22 high-burden countries are also in southern Africa , according to the World Health Organization ' s 2016 global TB report . “ We ' re making some progress but , despite some results , there ' s still a huge burden . �ere ' s still unacceptable rates of TB and HIV coinfections , incidence , and deaths ,” Talkmore Maruta , senior laboratory specialist at the ECSA-HC , told the conference . Among the challenges are the region ' s weak prevention and treatment system , limited diagnostic capacities and quality assurance , and inadequate human resources . “ All patients in southern Africa should be accessing TB diagnostic and all patients should be tested with drug susceptibility testing ,” said Licé Gonzalez-Angulo from the Research for TB Elimination department at the WHO ' s Global TB Program . “ More than 40 percent of patients aren ' t being diagnosed .”
In 2014 , Lesotho , Mozambique , South Africa , and Swaziland signed the Southern African Development Community declaration on the harmonization of TB management in the mining sector . �e framework aims to give mine workers and their communities con dence that wherever they seek treatment they will be prescribed the same interventions . Continuity in care Now those medical guidelines will be complemented with digital patient tracking . Next year , it will be expanded into more communities , selected for their high rates of migrant labor . “ What we know is that treatment success rates in mining communities is low and mainly related to cross-border migration ,” Chirrime said . “ �ey don ' t continue treatment .” Chirrime expects this new project to make a signi cant difference in the continuum of care for cross-border miners and migrant populations . “ We hope this will [ address ] the challenges currently faced , namely interruption of treatment and communication , in terms of the harmonization of treatment regimens across borders ,” she said .
“ Some patients may be diagnosed in one country and then referred to another . With this system you will know where the patient belongs and when the patient doesn ' t show , you can trace the patient and see where he is ,” she said . Strengthening laboratory systems In order for the uni ed care regime to work , laboratory and medical facilities will also need improvements . “ Lab officers need to be trained in quality management systems so they have a good understanding of health system requirements ,” said Maruta , who is working through the SATBHSS project to train lab officers to conduct quality audits of their laboratories . “ �e critical thing during audits is to identify areas that need improvement so we can start closing gaps ,” he said . Gonzalez-Angulo agrees . She said supporting countries to achieve quality assured , accessible , and sustainable TB diagnostic networks and laboratory services was one of the most important interventions moving forward . “ We have a lot of work to do ,” Maruta added . “ We need to put our foot down and be more serious about controlling this monster of TB .” sales @ truflopumps . com . au www . truflopumps . com . au
FMDZ | Sep - Oct 2017 | Page11