The Tema Metro Health Directorate has organised a TB/HIV joint review meeting, bringing together health officials and stakeholders to assess progress and strengthen strategies in Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) within the metropolis.
The review created a platform for health professionals to evaluate interventions, share best practices and identify gaps in TB and HIV service delivery.
Madam Joanna Anorkor Lartey, the Tema Metro TB and HIV Coordinator, described TB and HIV as inseparable, stating that these were like twins, adding that "Where TB is, when you don't take care, you will meet HIV and vice versa." Madam Lartey revealed that the metro had made significant strides in case detection and treatment, disclosing that 70 people were screened in 2023, and all were linked to care, including 23 who tested HIV-positive.
She added that by mid-2025, 197 cases had been recorded, of which 194 were successfully linked to care, while testing and counselling coverage remained high, with 99 per cent in 2023, 95 per cent in 2024, and 98 per cent in the first half of 2025. She further highlighted innovations in paediatric TB care, noting that young children often could not produce sputum samples; hence, the use of stool samples for TB diagnosis.
