The Ministry of Health has initiated measures to address the unusual rise of Tuberculosis (TB) treatment failure. In a press release, the ministry notes that the specific batch of the TB drugs with the poor outcomes were quarantined and taken for testing. The results shows that the concerned Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) drugs are deficient of two critical anti-TB molecules: Rifampicin and Ethambutol.
Although it is possible for some patients not to respond to treatment for various reasons, investigations discovered that the 40 patients affected are nearly double the 22 patients reported with similar issues at the same time last year. MOH also reveals that all patients who are exposed to the concerned drugs are currently being clinically re-assessed and managed with alternative drugs according to their stage of treatment. “In addition, clinical guidelines have been developed to guide clinicians and health care workers across the country on the appropriate steps to take, including psychosocial support,” states the release.
The press release further notes that contact tracing and routine community TB screening continue as part of the Ministry’s prevention efforts, hence advice to the public not to panic, but to take precautions to reduce TB transmission by avoiding congregated settings, staying in well-ventilated spaces and practicing cough etiquette. It says anyone experiencing signs and symptoms of TB like cough, unintentional weight loss, fever and night sweats, is advised to report to the nearest health facility so that they can be screened and or tested for TB. The Ministry of Health assures the public of its strong medicine quality-assurance systems that are in place to protect the public. These include routine post-marketing surveillance conducted by BoMRA, along with disease-outcome monitoring, the same process that detected the recent TB treatment failures.ENDS
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