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The Minister of Health of Ghana, Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu made some commitments on the fight against tuberculosis at recently held 2023 United Nations High-Level Meeting on the fight against tuberculosis in New York.

Among other things, he said ”

In Ghana, about thirty-five thousand (35,000) people fall ill every year, and forty-three persons lose their lives daily. Some progress has been made since the 2018 declaration. Ghana has combined a series of structured policies and activities supported by establishment of a ministerial office for resource mobilisation and direct monitoring of tuberculosis, malaria and HIV programmatic activities.

We are addressing the catastrophic cost of persons affected by TB with the formation of free health insurance, and additional GeneXpert and digital X-ray machines to aid diagnosis. The decentralised TB molecular platforms and TB human resource really supported the covid response during the pandemic. These district molecular platforms also served pandemic preparedness and other disease management. In return, we have leveraged the covid response for diagnostic equipment, especially digital X-rays, GeneXpert and development of integrated surveillance.

he added that “TB is preventable, treatable and curable therefore rendering quality care to people living with TB through equitable access to rapid diagnostics, shorter oral treatment for infection and disease, increasing access to social protection and other innovations including digital tools for health”.

Below is a link to the full statement by the Minister of Health.

Click here to download.