CATHERINE MUROMBEDZI
HEALTH CORRESPONDENT
Mutare:Jointed Hands, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) with the Stop TB Partnership, recently held a capacity-building workshop for over 30 religious leaders in Mutare, Zimbabwe.
Jointed Hands is a welfare organisation advocating for quality health services, empowers marginalised communities, and ensures services reach those in need.
The Mutare engagement aimed to educate religious leaders on prevention, treatment,ending stigma and to end TB as a public health concern by 2030.
Mr Ronald Rungoyi, the STOP TB Partnership Zimbabwe Chairperson, said information was key to empowering religious leaders for an effective response in the Church.
“Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB is airborne and primarily spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, releasing droplets that contain the bacteria. TB mainly infects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, spine, or brain. In the brain, it becomes meningitis. There are risk factors to contracting TB. Close contact with someone who has TB. Weakened immune system (for example, due to HIV/AIDS infection, cancer, or drug and substance misuse, poor ventilation and overcrowding. Always open windows to let free circulation of air. “Malnutrition or poor diet, and smoking or using tobacco products are risks. Working in healthcare or other high-risk settings like mining areas are risks,” said Mr Rungoyi.
“It is essential to note that TB is not caused by sharing food or drinks. In years gone by, due to lack of education, a person with TB was given his or her own cup, plate. TB is not spread by touching or shaking hands with someone who has TB. By understanding the causes of TB, we can take steps to prevent transmission and support those affected by the disease,” said Mr Rungoyi.
Mr Rungoyi said the Church was an important stakeholder in disease prevention and management.
“I recently accompanied my aunt to a church gathering in Marondera. I realised the reason why women have colds each time they come back home from a gathering that takes days. I saw massive dust as the congregants sang and danced. If only they had sprinkled water on the ground, a health risk would have been avoided,” said Mr Rungoyi.
The Jointed Hand Programmes Officer, Mr Peter Dube, spoke on the importance of multi stakeholders approach.
“No one person can defeat TB in a silo. It requires working together. As an organisation, we work with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) partners, like the Stop TB Partnership, researchers, community based organisations, TB survivors, traditional, and religious leaders, colleges, we work with everyone.
TB is believed to be over millions of years old. Knowledge of the disease dates back to ancient times. Tuberculosis, formerly called consumption disease, is mentioned in the Bible and the Koran.
“As religious leaders, you command respect in your congregations. You are a listened to voice. It is, therefore, important that we gather as stakeholders to educate you on TB. Nearly everyone has been directly or indirectly affected by TB. You may have a relative, a friend, a neighbour, or a congregant from your church who was diagnosed with TB or could have died. The stigma that the disease carries is what we need to fight as informed leaders. Everyone is at risk of getting infected since it is airborne, right here, we are all at risk if someone has TB. It is imperative that we understand. Churches are high-risk areas. With the congregation, we need to always open windows,” said Mr Dube.
He went on to acknowledge leadership support at the highest level.
“In 2023, the Head of State, President Mnangagwa, graced the United Nations High Level Meeting for TB in New York. That shows how serious our government is in terms of addressing the TB. We believe that by empowering religious leaders, our voice will be heard, and some of the issues we grappling with will be addressed in the Church,” said Mr Dube.
“TB is a major public health concern in Zimbabwe, which continues to cause sickness and death, mostly among poor and vulnerable communities. TB can be classified as a disease for the poor. By living in crowded places, TB thrives,” he said.
Mr Dube called on more funding to close the gaps.
“Zimbabwe has made progress in the TB response. However, there are still gaps in TB prevention, treatment, and care, due to funding gaps,” said Mr Dube.
Mr Peter Shiri, National TB Programme in the MoHCC, gave an overview of the TB landscape. He spoke on the types of TB, symptoms and most at risk populations.
“There is latent TB. It occurs when TB bacteria remains dormant in the body, not causing symptoms, but can reactivate and become active TB if left untreated,” he said.
“Active TB occurs when TB bacteria become active, causing symptoms such as coughing, fever, and weight loss, and can be transmitted to others,” said Mr Shiri.
“If one has a persistent cough that lasts for more than a week, visit your clinic. If coughing up rust-coloured sputum, pain in the chest that worsens when coughing, laughing, or taking deep breaths, visit your clinic.
When feeling extremely tired without having worked, unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite, recurring night sweats, feeling cold, even in warm environments and shortness of breath.
If you notice four of these, visit a clinic near you,” advised Mr Shiri.
Miners working without protective clothing were more at risk than those with.
“The prolonged exposure to silica dust and inadequate protective gear exposed artisanal miners who lacked protective clothing.
“Twenty one percent of artisanal small-scale miners were diagnosed with TB in 2021. By now, the figure could be higher. Their risk of TB infection is high due to silica dust exposure. They are five to six times at risk of acquiring HIV infection. They then have an 18-fold risk of TB infection due to combined silicosis and HIV,” said Mr Shiri.
“Artisanal miners are hard to reach due to their nomadic lifestyle and frequent changes in contact information. They have poor health-seeking behaviour and report very late when ill. TB is treated with success and is cured. But when reporting very late, it is fatal. One artisanal miner can be known by various names. They keep changing identities too,” said Mr Shiri.
Mr Shiri spoke on the need to bring the service to the people.
“To mitigate the challenges, Zimbabwe has procured nine Mobile X-Ray Trucks for TB screening in communities in the ten provincs. The trucks are fully equipped from diagnostics and treatment. They are hospitals on wheels. Harare and Bulawayo share one truck since access to facilities is not constrained,” he said.
“As church leaders, you are gatekeepers to strengthening the national TB response. You have the power to influence behaviour and attitudes within their communities. You can hold health talks in the church. An empowered congregation fights stigma.
“An estimated 10 million people globally fell ill with TB in 2022, resulting in 1,5 million deaths. In Zimbabwe, it is estimated that 33 000 fell ill of TB.
“Indications show that men bear the burden of TB due to the nature of their work. Smoking and crowded bars where smokers puff are risk areas. Passive smoking is a risk. When men fall ill, they can self-treat or share home remedies. In the meantime, their health further deteriorates,” said Mr Shiri.
Church gatherings are an opportunity for everyone to take part in raising TB awareness.
This is why the parent ministry, Jointed Hands, Stop TB Partnership (a Coalition of global groups fighting TB), has taken steps to involve the religious leaders in the TB response.
The engagement was an eye-opening opportunity as informed religious leaders will be change agents.
TB is more than a health challenge. It is social, cultural, and economic issue that needs all hands on the deck.
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