Foundation partners CDRH to Train Journalists On Gender Transformative Right

Grassroots Development and Empowerment Foundation (GRADE), in partnership with Centre for Development and Reproductive Health ((CDRH), with support from the StopTB Partnership Challenge Facility for Civil Society (CFCS), have trained journalists from Ebonyi and Anambra States on Gender and Human Rights in Tuberculosis (TB) Control Programme.

READ ALSO:Red Cross trains journalists on first aid skills in Yobe state

Speaking at the training, Alobu Isaac, the Executive Director, CDRH, emphasized that Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious, chronic contagious disease that mainly affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body.

“TB of the lungs is called pulmonary TB but when it affects other body parts, it is called extrapulmonary TB. It affects both children and adults and all sexes. Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis. In some places, especially where TB is relatively common, persons may have the bacteria but the germs will lie dormant.When TB germs are in the body,but are not causing sickness,it is called TB infection (latent TB or latent TB infection).Under some circumstances,the dormant bacteria may begin to multiply excessively,invade the surrounding tissues/organs,and begin to cause sickness,which manifests as coughing, weight loss and others. When TB begins to cause sickness,an individual is said to have TB disease (active TB).It means that the person can be infected with the germ causing TB without having the disease.But the person may later become sick with the disease.”

Speaking on how the disease is spread, Alobu said, “person’s with the disease spread it through coughing, sneezing, singing, talking, shouting, laughing. Some factors increase the spread of TB germs. These include over crowding,poor ventilation,poor cough hygiene, prisons, nursing homes.

He stated that TB is not spread through handshake, hugging, sexual intercourse, eating utensils, drinking cups, toilet seats,clothes, other surfaces,and an untreated TB can infect 10-15people in a year.

On Gender – Related Differences in Vulnerability to Tuberculosis, he said, “more women are infected with TB than men(2:1),men are less likely to get infected with TB.Compared to men,less percentage of women who develope TB disease get diagnosed.This is generally because of intense stigma and discrimination faced by women who have TB. Delayed care seeking or no care at all, poverty, low immunity from HIV- TB co-infection,poor nutrition increase the chances of death from TB among women. TB is curable,and treatment is provided free by the government in TB clinics (public and recognized private clinics). 

Unequal gender relations, including lack of women’s social, cultural and economic empowerment, and violations of rights of persons affected by tuberculosis are some of the key constraints militating against effective TB control in the country. Therefore, addressing gender inequality, empowering women and girls, and promoting and protecting the rights of persons affected by tuberculosis, women and girls, and vulnerable populations are key to controlling TB in the country.

On his part,Professor Daniel Oshi, Department of Community Health & Psychiatry,The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, who spoke virtually on Development of Operational Communication Plan on TB, Gender and Human Rights,said the aim of the project create was to create an enabling environment for improved TB case finding through strengthening women/girls’ organizations and TB CSOs-led gender-transformative and rights-based approaches to TB programming.

Professor Oshi called on the journalists to develop an actionable operational communication plan on how they will take actions to promote gender and human rights, especially, as applied to TB and TB-affected persons, using their media outlet.

“Track the reach of their communication on gender and human rights in tuberculosis!Receive feedback and responses from their audience on issues of gender and human rights in TB.”

Professor Oshi explained that the components of the Operational Communication Plan should include Goal and objectives,Target audience,General audience,Communication pathway/media,Tracking,Timeline and Approach.

He further appreciated the journalists for their effective contribution to addressing TB-related gender and human rights challenges.

The training, which was a part of a project themed: Empowering Women Drives Change: Project for the Promotion of Gender Transformative and Rights-based TB Programme in Ebonyi and Anambra States, climaxed with question and answer session and workshop.