WACCBIP completes three events under first ever TB/ medical outreach programme

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The first ever WACCBIP TB medical outreach programme has been put in full gear after three outreach events were organized successfully for residents of three suburbs in Accra. The outreach programme was purposed to help reach WACCBIP's goal of creating awareness towards the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

The programme was organised in collaboration with the Chest Clinic of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) to raise awareness on Tuberculosis. In all, over 1000 residents were screened in three communities.

Residents of Korle-Gonno in the Ablekuma South Municipality, were screened on the day of the first event, 21^st October, 2017. The second event under the outreach programme was held at Glefe in the Ablekuma West Municipality on 28^th October, 2017 and the final event on 4^thNovember, 2017 saw residents at Gbese in the Ga West Municipality come out in their numbers to be screened.

The outreach team at Korle Gonno

The WACCBIP team in collaboration with medical officers and personnel from the chest clinic offered free medical consultation and digital x-ray services. The technology used allowed for the detection of TB, even at the latent stage. There were also teams of registered nurses and laboratory technicians, who also administered tests for hypertension, blood sugar levels, diabetes, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. Treatments and medicines were given to beneficiaries that needed them, and the more advanced medical cases were referred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Dr. Adwoa Asante-Poku Wiredu, a WACCBIP post-doctoral fellow, and the public engagement team were the spearheads of the outreach programme.

Medical officers attending to residents

The first event, which attracted over 200 residents of Korle-Gonno, was held at the Methodist Primary School. Residents reported as early as 6:30 a.m. to welcome the outreach team even though the event was scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m.

Residents were registered and taken through the medical procedures which involved general out-patient services, general consultation, laboratory tests and free digital chest x-ray. Residents could not hide their joy and were grateful to the WACCBIP team.

The Korle-Gonno Mantse, Nii Tackie Owuowuo III going through the medical tests

The Korle-Gonno Mantse, Nii Tackie Owuowuo III, expressed his gratitude to WACCBIP for the love showed to his people and pleaded for more health interventions similar to the one WACCBIP had brought to his community.

The outreach team at Glefe

“The event has been a huge achievement for my community and we are happy with the free chest x-ray screening, I will also advice my people to heed to the advice of the doctors,” he said.

Some residents of Korle Gonno in the digital chest x-ray van

The second event at Glefe, a predominantly fishing community, saw residents arriving in their numbers. Residents were registered and taken through the process of screening and were guided by medical officers over treatment options and medication regimens. There was also an interactive session between health workers and youth of the community on sexual issues. The queen-mother for Glefe, Naa Tettehorkor, was appreciative of the event.

A medical officer attending to some residents

“People in need of medical attention could often not afford the services of private and public hospitals around Glefe,” she explained, “So they would rather resort to the use of herbal medicines which is not the best.”

She was, therefore, grateful to WACCBIP's free medical outreach and called on other institutions to emulate.

The Director of WACCBIP, Prof. Gordon Awandare

The Director of WACCBIP, Prof. Gordon Awandare was also present at the outreach event at Glefe. He expressed his enthusiasm on the success of the outreach and emphasized that WACCBIP takes pride in the achievements gained so far and will continue to be at the forefront of the campaign to demystify TB by 2035. He explained that Tuberculosis is a global pandemic which can be cured if detected early and he called on government to support research towards ending the disease.

Residents of Glefe at the outreach event

The third event, which took place at Gbese in Accra on the 4^th of November, was the most attended. It was organized in partnership with Perinatal Maternal Mortality Aid Ghana (PMMA), a non-governmental organisation in Ghana, which provided pregnant women with free ultrasound scans and prenatal advice. The Gbese Mantse, Nii Ayi Bonte, welcomed and hosted the outreach team in his palace. Participants went through the regimented outreach processes.

The Assembly-man for the area, Honorable Emmanuel Botwey, expressed his gratitude to the outreach team. Residents turned out massively, as over 300 people attended the outreach event. Also present were student nurses, pharmacists and laboratory assistants from the National Health Students' Association of Ghana, who came to support the medical team.

“This is my first time of experiencing such a gesture, it felt really good as everyone in the outreach team was so nice and reassured us of good healthcare.” Mr. Diamond Abayataye, a beneficiary from Glefe said.

Residents of Glefe at the outreach event

Miss Susan Boateng, another beneficiary was also grateful to WACCBIP for coming to her community.

“I was very happy with the education the health workers gave during the event on our sanitation, we can prevent most of the diseases in this community if we keep our environment clean,” she said.

Residents of Gbese going through medical tests

The outreach programme was largely successful and WACCBIP looks forward to the next outreach events at Kasoa in the Central Region and Pambros in the Greater Accra Region. WACCBIP would like to thank all entities who partnered with us during the outreach and all people that came out to get screened.