TB as a Societal Burden- The Life of a Treatment buddy
A common practice in the treatment of TB is to have a treatment buddy who undertakes the responsibility of direct observation therapy (DOT)
The treatment of tuberculosis (TB) can sometimes feel like a daunting solitary battle when one is sick. Support and understanding are as important as the anti-TB drugs that one is expected to take during their treatment lifespan of 6 months to even a whole year depending on the type of TB. Healing within the community is therefore crucial to ensure treatment success as well as the quality of life of the patient, family members and the community.
A common practice in the treatment of TB is to have a treatment buddy who undertakes the responsibility of direct observation therapy (DOT). Lisa, a 26 year old mother of 2, a wife and marketer by profession, undertook the responsibility of being her brother’s (Paul) treatment buddy when he was diagnosed with TB. Lisa understood the magnitude of the role she had to play in the treatment of her brother since she herself had in the past been diagnosed and treated for TB. Despite having many responsibilities, she knew the impact that support can have on treatment success, by aiding in drug adherence.
Lisa who resides in Wangige has always had a close bond with her brother. He was diagnosed last year in August with TB meningitis, which affects the brain. Prior to diagnosis, Lisa thought her brother had just fallen sick. He had always been small bodied and therefore the weight loss to them was not evident. Paul was neither coughing nor experiencing the nightsweats that Lisa experienced when she had TB. Upon taking her brother to a private hospital, the diagnosis was wrong and they ended up treating him for malaria. His illness culminated a few days, resulting in him going into a coma. He was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) where the doctors conducted a few tests after putting him on a life support machine. It was then that he was diagnosed with TB meningitis.
As difficult as it was having to see her brother in such a state, Lisa always found time to see her brother. Her first reaction as well as her family’s was concern as to where he had contracted the disease from since they were not aware that there are different forms of TB. They also experienced a lot of stigma from close friends, with some thinking that he is HIV positive even to date. This led to the family not being too open about the health condition of her brother. Some people even considered him to be cursed. He was in a coma for 2 months while doctors continued to administer TB drugs intravenously. When he woke up from the coma, he was transferred to Wangige Health Centre where he continued with his treatment. This saw him improve tremendously and his weight has also increased from a meager 32kgs to 48kgs.
Lisa vividly remembers her first interaction with Keheala. She was appreciative of the support sponsor’s empathy towards her brother’s current state. Since he had lost his memory, Lisa’s brother has had to re-learn how to perform various tasks that were normal to him again. From speech, to day to day activities. Keheala offered her an avenue through which she could keep track of the time her brother is supposed to take his medication (8pm daily). Even in her absence, Keheala’s treatment reminders have enabled her to make arrangements beforehand to ensure that there is someone available to administer the drugs. With a high verification rate of 98%, she takes the task seriously on a daily basis. Keheala has also offered her an opportunity to learn more about TB through the information freely available in the USSD support code. Sometimes she visits to know more than what she is told at the facility and build on her existing knowledge. This ranges from information about the proper diet for a patient, how TB is treated, transmitted or even about the various forms of TB.
In future Lisa hopes that more information about TB can be made available to the general public. From Keheala’s inspiration and information, she goes out of her way to inform those around her about TB symptoms and has even inspired friends and family with persistent coughs to visit facilities for review. She believes that people shouldn’t die of TB yet there’s a cure. We shouldn’t be scared of visiting a facility to get checked or seek help if there are signs and symptoms of TB.