Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Services management and staff
Executive mayor of Vhembe District Municipality
Hosi Matumba
Mayor of Makhado Local Municipality
Pastor Ramahala
Prison inmates
Ladies and gentlemen
Good morning
Programme director, it is my pleasure and distinct privilege to be part of the Intensified Case Finding campaign at this institution. President of the country Jacob Zuma identified health, education, job creation, rural development and poverty alleviation as the key priorities of government during the State of the Nation Address. The very same priorities were first identified by the African National Congress during the 8 January statement in Polokwane.
The country is faced with one of the dual epidemics in the world being TB and HIV co-infection whose rate is about 70 percent. Prisons and correctional services have been identified as one of the institutions with higher TB prevalence and incidence rates caused by overcrowding. Research shows that TB in prisons affects the general population through transmission that occurs when prisoners are moved and via prison staff and visitors.
According to the World Health Organisation the level of TB in prisons has been reported to be up to 100 times higher than that of the civilian population. Our visit to this institution is in line with the Global plan to stop TB, we should be able to detect at least
84% of smear positive patients by 2015.
As a department our focus is to safeguard that health as one of the key priorities is provided to all the citizens of this country hence we have resolved to conduct the Intensified Case Finding campaign in the correctional services.
The main purpose of the Intensified Case Finding campaign is to interrupt the ongoing transmission of infection at prison and community level, to identify people with TB disease and initiate treatment early. The purpose is also to prevent the development of active TB disease amongst the HIV positive by providing Isoniazid (INH) Preventive Therapy and also to give information to the inmates about the symptoms of TB so that they can start demanding the services. We do this to ensure that we accomplish our government’s mandate to deliver quality basic health services to all.
Programme director, during this event the inmates will be screened for TB using the following signs and symptoms:
- Coughing for more than two weeks or coughing for 24 hours if HIV positive
- Night sweat without effort
- Loss of appetite
- Chest pains
- Unexpected weight loss
Anyone with one or more of the symptoms will be collected sputum to check if they have TB, those who will be found to have TB will be given TB treatment.
Those of you who will be found to have TB will have to get TB treatment which is taken for six to eight months. It is very important for TB patients to be supported by someone in order to complete their programme and you must bear in mind that TB is curable only if you take treatment daily for six months. The treatment is offered free and available in all the public facilities.
Programme director, as a department we are concerned about the number of TB cases reported in Limpopo that has increased from 6 286 in 2000 to 21 287 in 2010. What is promising is that the province’s case detention rate of 1.8% is below the World Health
Organisation target of 2 to 10%.
The TB cure rate for new smear positive cases remains low at 70.1% in the province which is lower than the World Health Organisation and the Millennium Goal Development target of 85%.
The cure rate has been increasing steadily from 48.7% in 2005 to 73.4% during the second quarter of 2011.
The proportion of patients who defaulted treatment decreased from 7.7% in 2009 to 6% in 2010. Most of the patients defaulted due to high mobility. The province is implementing the defaulter tracing programme to reduce the defaulter rate.
As a department we are impressed that Vhembe District has the highest TB cure of 79.8% followed by Capricorn at 76.7% and the least performing is Waterberg at 63.7. Mutale sub-district in Vhembe district has the highest TB cure of 92.5% as compared to Thulamela with a cure rate of 81.3% during the second quarter of 2010.
Programme director coincidentally Vhembe leads the province in terms of people who have tested for HIV, while on the other hand the district is the lowest as far as people who have tested HIV positive is concerned. On the other hand Waterberg is the lowest
in HIV testing but the highest with people who are HIV positive.
As you should all be aware that TB is closely linked to HIV and AIDS. Research shows that TB is the most common opportunistic infection in the people living with HIV, and a leading cause of death in this group. Undiagnosed and untreated TB is frequently found among people living with HIV and AIDS.
It is very important for all those who are having TB to be counseled and tested for HIV. For those who will be found to be HIV positive a CD4 count will be conducted and those who are eligible for ART will be initiated. The good news is that TB is curable even when one is HIV positive.
We believe that correctional services are ideal environments for TB control. In planning and implementing effective TB control, the institution’s health services should take advantage of special features of the prison environment. Having inmates all in one place should facilitate identification of inmates with TB, promotion of adherence to treatment, accurate recording and reporting.
It is a fact that some of the inmates have had little access to health care in their communities. For these people, a correctional service with effective health care services could provide an opportunity for access to health care, including TB care.
As a department we are providing all these services to you to ensure that when you return to you communities you are able to live a healthy life style. Today’s campaign will also help you to contribute positively on health matters in your communities after you have completed your sentences.
Programme director as the African National Congress -led government came with the dictum “Working together we can do more” as a department we are confident that working together with you we will do more to in a fight against TB and HIV.
Testing for HIV, TB and other exercises will assist us to provide necessary medication to you. Even when you return to your community, do regular visits to the health facilities to test for different diseases because there are Non Communicable Diseases that are somehow hidden.
I will also take this opportunity to alert you about a silence killer disease called Non Communicable Diseases. The main Non Communicable Diseases have been identified as diabetes, cancer, stroke, heart and chronic lung diseases.
According to the World Health Organisation health risks report, leading environment and behavioural risks like unhealthy diet which includes: low fruit and vegetable intake, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol have been estimated to be jointly responsible for 35% of cancer death.
To win the fight against the Non Communicable Diseases you need to eat healthy diet which includes: at least one fruit and vegetable a day, exercise on regular basis, avoid the abuse of tobacco and alcohol.
Let us all strive for healthy life style
Thank you
