The media in Zambia have been encouraged to advocate for enhanced Tuberculosis (TB) detection and treatment for the country to meet the global target of ending TB by 2030. Current statistics show Zambia as one of the world’s 30 high TB burden countries.

At a quarterly media engagement meeting organised by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the CIDRZ’s USAID-funded TBLON project, Health Minister, Hon. Sylvia Masebo, disclosed that every year in Zambia, about 10,000 people with TB are not detected and hence not treated, leading to nearly 4,000 deaths annually. She said this in a speech read on her behalf by the Health Promotions Director at the Ministry of Health, Dr Kalangwa Kalangwa,

The media engagement meeting, which drew participants from 24 media houses based in Lusaka, was held at the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)’s VenYou campus.  

Ms Masebo, while noting the pivotal role of information dissemination that the media plays in society, urged journalists to increase the coverage of TB-related activities, such as the importance of contact tracing for case finding. Through the media, she requested all close contacts for TB patients to be screened for TB. She asked the provincial leadership to strengthen and expand the TB laboratory network to ease access to sensitive TB diagnostic tools.

While revealing the ministry’s 64% achievement against targets in accelerating TB case finding in Children, she noted that it is evident that if efforts in TB case finding are not accelerated, we may continue losing the precious lives of our children, adolescents, women, and men. “I, therefore, call upon all the media personnel to join in the fight against TB,” said Ms Masebo

Meanwhile, USAID TBLON TB Medical Officer Dr Mutumwa Muyangana said the project, implemented in eight provinces in Zambia, has supported the Ministry of Health through capacity building of health workers in TB prevention, case detection, and management, including demand creation for TB services in the communities.

She also reiterated the Minister’s call for the media to support and advocate for ending TB. “We are glad that people like you who help with information dissemination in the community are here today to share with us how we can communicate better all issues of TB so that together we can end TB by 2030,” said Dr Mutumwa.