SADC MINISTERS OF HEALTH AND LABOUR DELIBERATE ON TB AMONG WORKERS

Chisha Mutale in Angola

SADC Ministers in the area of Health and Labour yesterday held a joint meeting on the dimensions of TB among mine workers and other mobile populations in the region.

Information, Broadcasting and Labour Minister was among other ministers in the region that attended the joint meeting.

Health Deputy Minister Patrick Chikusu who was also present at the meeting called upon SADC Ministers in the Health and Labour sector to develop programmes that will reduce on the misdiagnosis of TB and silicosis.

He said there was need for such interventions to be extended to the quarry sector and not just limiting it to the mining industry.

Dr Chikusu said Zambia had many women who are exposed to silica through the cutting of stones.

He said such groups should be identified so that they can be exposed to radiological examinations.

Dr Chikusu said such examinations would allow for the easy picking up the disease much earlier for treatment and prevention.

And Tanzanian Deputy Health Minister Lucy Nkya called upon the integration of some Ministries in countries of the SADC region in order to effectively tackle the problem of TB.

Ms Nkya said the integration of ministries would create a comprehensive approach on how to look at mining as far as TB is concerned.

Meanwhile Information, Broadcasting and Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda and other ministers from the SADC region took a tour of some economic zones in Angola.

During the tour M. Shamenda said the SADC region was lucky to have a country like Angola that was setting the pace in terms of economic development.

Mr Shamenda said such economic zones would contribute to the region becoming self-sufficient.

He said it would also bring about specialisation in the region thereby creating wealth.

Mr Shamenda hope that such economic ventures could be extended to other member states in the region.