Tuberculosis (TB) has been a major health issue since the beginning of civilisation and is rife in Madagascar.
It can be cured – but at a cost
TB is curable with a 6 month course of several antibiotics. These are available free of charge from WHO but what the poor of Madagascar lack is any access to healthcare, or any structure for the effective coordination of preventative and treatment strategies.
The new TB hospital at Tanjomoha
During our first visits to Tanjomoha, we were amazed to discover a dozen shacks on the woods at the edge of the mission site where Pere Emeric was treating TB with medicines obtained from WHO. The conditions the sufferers were housed in were appalling. Good nutrition is central not only to preventing TB infection taking a hold but also to allowing recovery when combined with antibiotics, so the provision of good and adequate facilities for the treatment of the 100 or so cases a year Pere Emeric was treating became an immediate priority for us.
We were fortunate indeed to have been able to secure a grant from The Irish Missionary Fund to enable the construction of a new hospital to replace the shacks. These have kitchens and an ability to provide a proper diet as well as accommodation for children or parents of patients being treated, for the first two months of treatment are as residential inpatients followed by monthly visits for a check up until treatment is complete. This hospital delivers outcomes which match our own in the UK.
What is TASC Madagascar doing?
We continue to provide financial support to the TB hospital together with any expert advice if required. Two of our Truestees, Doctors Jim O’Brien and Chris Swinburn follow developments internationally and at Tanjomoha closely and are always available to help with advice and guidance if required. We seek to prevent spread of the disease by educating those most at risk in how to protect against the disease and if necessary how to treat it.