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Helping communities control tuberculosis.


 Community health workers (CHWs) can help prevent the spread of tuberculosis (TB) in various ways. They can educate community members about TB symptoms and how TB is transmitted. They can encourage people with active TB to seek and complete treatment. They can check household contacts of infectious patients to identify and manage young children at special risk. Many people believe that TB cannot be cured, that God, magic, or witchcraft causes TB, or that only cursed or bad people acquire TB. These beliefs explain why many people seek treatment from traditional healers rather from medical personnel. CHWs need to be aware of these beliefs and to consider them when developing appropriate advice and relevant community health education. Some important public health advice to prevent the spread of TB includes covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, disposing of sputum carefully, and prohibiting children from sleeping in the same room as an infectious adult. CHWs should screen the whole family for TB, especially the young children, and evaluate the nutritional status of the children, if someone in the household has TB. Malnourished children are especially at risk of TB. CHWs need to ask the parents about and examine the child for the presence or absence of TB symptoms in their child. They need to perform a tuberculin test. They should immediately refer children with symptoms (vomiting, fever, persistent cough, weight loss) to a physician.
