The “Businesses for Health: Tuberculosis Project” engages the private sector to support the National Department of Health’s efforts to end the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic and reduce the high rates of drug resistant TB.
B4H Project Manager Dr Ann Clarke, said in 2017, the focus of its work with businesses was in the National Capital District (NCD), where the rate of active TB cases is higher than other cities in PNG.
The World TB Day, saw the launch of the project of a Toll Free Tuberculosis information line service at the Kila Kila Clinic.
“The new TB info line number will be and will be available to anyone throughout PNG who has a question about TB,” says Dr. Clarke.
“We want to reach anyone who has a concern about TB to call us as soon as they have a question. We don’t want them to worry, or wait unnecessarily.”
“The sooner someone calls us, the sooner we can help get him or her into TB services here in the NCD. The sooner they call or seek help, the faster they will return to full health and back to work or school,” she adds.
Clarke reiterated that more importantly, they hope that being able to ask questions privately and confidentially will relieve a caller’s concerns about their health.
Callers can be confident that the Businesses for Health: TB info line teams are experienced in answering and discussing health questions, from years of answering calls to the HIV info line.
The staffs have received excellent training about Tuberculosis from the National TB partnership clinical training team and the info line team is also familiar with the staff and services available at the NCD clinics, and can help them to understand the process of TB testing and treatment.
The TB info line service will be promoted using the “Cover your cough” campaign song. The song has started playing throughout PNG on radio stations starting World TB Day on Friday 24th March.
The “Cover your cough” song is a cheerful message to promote awareness about a coughing etiquette that helps to everyone in PNG to reduce the spread of any airborne infection.
The song also aims to engage workplaces in the project’s activities and the social media campaign with hash tag #coveryourcough.