Tigo supports Tuberculosis prevalence survey

Accra, March 26, GNA - Tigo Ghana under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, has donated modems and unlimited Internet data for a year worth over GH¢ 3,000 to support the national launch of World TB Day and National TB Prevalence Survey.

A statement from Tigo on Tuesday said the company made the donation in Kumasi last Friday March 22. It was part of Tigo CSR's programme on the theme: 'Supporting Communities, Improving Lives'.

Mr Ernest Agbedanu, Tigo representative in the Ashanti Region, who made the presentation said in a statement: 'Tigo continues to show its support in the health sector and understands the need to contribute to the general well being of society.'

The donation is aimed at creating awareness on Tuberculosis and its effects in Ghana.

Mr Agbedanu said Tigo was confident that the modems and data packages would facilitate an efficient and effective internet service, which would support image transmission by digital x-ray. He stated that Tigo would continue to support such worthy causes.

Statistics from statement say about 1.1 million people die from Tuberculosis (TB) yearly. It says the cost of controlling the disease; its effect and the risk factors it places on our society are unknown.

Recent new estimates have placed Ghana as one of the countries likely to achieve the Millennium Development Goal for TB by 2015.

'The need therefore for a population based prevalence survey to estimate the effects of the disease by identifying new strategies to control Tuberculosis have never been more relevant.

'This survey, which has been endorsed and being supported by the Global Task Team for Prevalence Surveys of the World Health Organization (WHO), would provide the Ministry of Health in Ghana relevant information on the true burden and effects of Tuberculosis in Ghana.'

'This would also provide the opportunity to implement an exclusive tele-medicine intervention in Ghana. Results from this survey would contribute to the global knowledge of public health control of Tuberculosis.

'In order to conduct this survey, the team needs to be adequately resourced. Among a number of equipment and other resources required to conduct these surveys is an efficient internet service provided by means of modems and data packages to support image transmission by digital x-ray,' the statement said. GNA