KNYSNA NEWS - Tuberculosis is curable. This is the driving slogan behind the awareness campaign that Noleen Dirkse and her team embarked on last week.
The campaign was run on social media and at various public health clinics in and around Knysna, all in the build-up to World TB Day which is commemorated on 24 March.
Dirkse has herself battled and overcome tuberculosis, standing proud as a 10-time survivor of the bacterial disease and as living proof that TB is curable.
It is then perfectly suitable that she drove the awareness campaign, which included a visit to the Khayalethu Clinic in Knysna on 16 March as well as visits to Knysna Town Clinic, Sedgefield Clinic and Keurhoek Clinic on 17 March.
Dirkse was received well at each venue, with staff at every clinic also providing informative talks on TB and its treatments to members of the public.
Background on World TB Day
A peek at the history of the day, courtesy of the World Health Organisation: "World TB Day is observed on 24 March each year to raise public awareness and understanding about one of the world's deadliest infectious killers - TB and its devastating health, social and economic impact on people around the world.
The 24 March marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.
"Every day, over 4 100 people die from TB and nearly 30 000 people fall ill with TB disease - despite it being preventable and treatable. TB is the leading cause of death of people with HIV and a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance. World TB Day is an opportunity to focus on the people affected by this disease and to call for accelerated action to end TB suffering and deaths, especially in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis."
Photos: Blake Linder
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