TB awareness campaign bearing fruits in Mzimba

The Mzimba North District Health Office (DHO) says it has registered an increase in the number of miners using protective wear to protect themselves from dust and hazardous fumes which may subsequently cause tuberculosis (TB).

Mzimba North DHO apokesperson Lovemore Kawayi said the increase in the use of protective gear was a clear sign that awareness campaign on the issue was bearing fruits. He said this last week during a Tuberculosis Awareness Open Day organised by his office at Sonda in Mzuzu on Wednesday.

“In the past, some miners refused to use protective gear even after civic education. It was a challenge. However, the good news is that during the two weeks we conducted open days, we discovered that almost 90 percent of the workers are using protective gear,” he said.

Apart from civic education, the health office had been conducting joint inspection exercises with  the Department of Mines and Ministry of Labour, Sports and Manpower Development where mining institutions not complying with rules and regulations risked closure, according to Kawayi.

“It is now pleasing to note that many mining companies have seen the importance of using protective gear,” he said.

The TB awareness campaign, which took place in all seven mining sites of Sonda, Ekwendeni, Ekwaiweni, Mpherembe, Mtwalo, Kafukule and Matuli in the district, are part of the Southern Africa TB Health System Support Project by the World Bank. n