Health workers within Sandaun Province discover the essentiality of decreasing Tuberculosis (T.B.).

Health facilitators from the National Department of Health were in Aitape this week to facilitate a short course on Provincial Training of Trainers (T.O.T), in regard to the new strategy of treatment for T.B.

Dr. Joe Bana-Koiri from Port Moresby and Ms. Iraingo Moses from the Provincial Office of T.B and Leprosy in Lae, gave talks on various aspects of this new strategy of treatment, known as Directly Observed Treatment (D.O.T.).

Dr. Bana-Koiri na Ms. Moses em tupela i sindaun igo long han-sut.

"This is to ensure that the province’s health specialists obtain the necessary training needed to further train their subordinates, on the best possible ways of effectively managing the spread and cure or T.B. using D.OT," explained Dr. Bana-Koiri.

He also added that there was an urgency to address the current problem of T.B within the country, which has particularly been due to the increase of the HIV epidemic.

"If it is not taken seriously and controlled by way of proper treatment and attention it may develop into a major health problem,” added Dr. Bana-Koiri.

The course was funded by the World Health Organisation (W.H.O), and was attended by HEOs, OICs, doctors and nurses from all district health centres and hospitals within the province.