Lambert Kweku Ankomah, the Western Regional Tuberculosis (TB) Coordinator, has called for a collective action of all stakeholders to help end TB transmission in the country.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the commemoration of the annual World TB Day, he said ending TB was achievable when the government took strong leadership, with active community participation in the advocacy and awareness creation in the fight against the disease.

He said the Western Region recorded an estimated 2,723 cases detected in 2025, with about 2,669 registered on treatment, out of which 2,646 were treated, representing a treatment success rate of 99.1 per cent.

Ankomah, however, said 15 people, representing 0.6 per cent, died of TB in the region in 2025.

“We see estimated case detection increasing every year in the Western region, and this is because a sizable portion of our estimated TB cases remain undetected in the communities, and so these patients keep spreading the condition to others.

There are also risk factors associated with TB, such as illegal mining (galamsey) in some communities, malnutrition, smoking, alcohol use, and overcrowding, among others,” he said.

Ankomah said to break the chain of transmission, the Western Regional Health Directorate had adopted some interventions, including intensified case finding or screening at the Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) and entry points of all health facilities in the region.

He stated that the region had 17 TB diagnostic facilities serving all the 14 districts, adding that all health facilities had been linked to a diagnostic facility based on proximity for timely results and early treatment initiation where necessary.

Health officials also embarked on periodic community screening in hotspot communities for early diagnosis and treatment, he said.

“Contacts of all confirmed TB patients are counselled, screened and tested; treatment is initiated for those positive, and the negative ones are put on the TB Preventive Therapy (TPT),” Mr Ankomah added.

Touching on some misconceptions and myths, he asked the public to ignore the notion that TB was curable.

He said: “Some misconceptions exist that TB cannot be cured, causing patients to abandon treatment, but I want to let the people know that TB is very curable as shown by the region's treatment success rate of 99.1 per cent.”

The Coordinator encouraged persons who showed signs and symptoms of TB, like cough, weight loss, chest pain, fever, and coughing blood, among others, to visit the nearest health facility for screening, diagnosis, and early treatment.

Ankomah also advised the citizenry against stigmatising individuals diagnosed with TB, but to show them compassion and support, to help stop the spread of the disease in their communities.

World TB Day is commemorated on March 24 every year to raise public awareness about the health, social, and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global pandemic.

The 2026 commemoration is on the theme: “Yes! We Can End TB: Led by Countries, Powered by People.”


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