The Western Region has recorded a high TB treatment success rate, but health officials are urging communities to play a more active role in stopping the spread of the disease.
Mr. Lambert Kweku Ankomah, Western Regional Tuberculosis (TB) Coordinator, told the Ghana News Agency that ending TB in the country requires strong government leadership and active community participation in advocacy, awareness, and early detection.
“In 2025, the Western Region detected approximately 2,723 TB cases, with 2,646 successfully treated—a treatment success rate of 99.1 percent,” Mr. Ankomah reported. Despite this achievement, 15 people, representing 0.6 percent of cases, died from TB last year.
He explained that undetected cases in the community continue to fuel transmission, citing risk factors such as illegal mining (galamsey), malnutrition, smoking, alcohol use, and overcrowding.
To address this, the Western Regional Health Directorate has implemented targeted interventions, including intensified TB screening at hospital Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) and entry points, as well as periodic community screening in hotspot areas. The region has 17 diagnostic facilities linked to all 14 districts, ensuring timely results and early treatment initiation.
“Contacts of confirmed TB patients are counselled, screened, and tested. Those who are positive start treatment immediately, while negatives are put on TB Preventive Therapy (TPT),” he said.
Mr. Ankomah also addressed common misconceptions about the disease, urging the public to understand that TB is curable. “Some people believe TB cannot be cured, which causes patients to abandon treatment, but our 99.1 percent success rate proves otherwise,” he noted.
He encouraged anyone experiencing symptoms—such as persistent cough, weight loss, chest pain, fever, or coughing blood—to visit the nearest health facility for screening and early treatment. He also called on communities to avoid stigmatizing TB patients and instead offer support and compassion to help halt transmission.
World TB Day, commemorated annually on March 24, aims to raise awareness about the health, social, and economic impacts of TB. This year’s theme, “Yes! We Can End TB: Led by Countries, Powered by People,” underscores the need for national leadership and community engagement to eliminate the disease.
