Tuberculosis (TB) infection remains a major health challenge in Tsumkwe.

The health facilities in the area continue to record a higher number of new infections, with the Drug Resistant TB strain being the highest compared to elsewhere in the country.  

To resolve the situation, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has deployed groups of health workers who move from village to village to create awareness about TB. 

The healthcare workers also collect sputum samples from community members who are coughing, for diagnosis.  

"We are here in the field at Grasshoek one, the reason we chose Tsumkwe is because there are a lot of TB cases, especially Drug Resistant TB. We are educating the community and also collecting sputum and taking them to Tsumkwe to test them. If the results come out positive we collect the patient and commence with treatment as soon as possible. The response from the community has been good, says Ester Ngotipeni, a supervisor TB Field Promoter

Currently, there are a total of 97 patients on treatment at four healthcare facilities in the constituency, 39 of which are drug-resistant cases.  

Those who are sick are referred to health centers.

Otjozondjupa Chief Health Officer for Special Programmes, Franz Kaluhoni said he is happy with what the teams have accomplished so far.

"The mobilization has gone really well, we tried to go to all villages in Tsumkwe to pick up new cases, we have 44 undiagnosed cases in the community. Today we are standing at 12 cases that we have picked up, whoever is coughing we take sputum, and those who are not feeling well we take them to the clinic for further management as we have a doctor here."