Joyce Sibanda
Swaziland Ministry of Health National TB Control Programme, Mbabane Swaziland
Title: The ermegence of a ray of hope from the glare of tb through community participation in Swaziland
Biography
Biography: Joyce Sibanda
Abstract
Tuberculosis has predominantly remained a public health concern in Swaziland. The situation is exacerbated by the advent of drug resistance TB. The HIV prevalence of 27% which is highest in the world has driven TB/ HIV coinfection rate to 70% with mortality rate of 14 % for DS and 21% for DR-TB. In the past decade, there was little investment, support for advocacy and social mobilisation and funding for TB. These health inequities and adversaries found their routes and penetrated the weak health delivery system, triggering societal devastation bringing hopelessness. During that period TB services were offered through an outreach team from a central hospital.