The Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Media Foundation, Raphael Godlove Ahenu, has underscored the need for heavy capital injection to scale up Tuberculosis (TB) priority interventions to end the TB epidemic in Ghana by 2035.

He said it is important for the government to be more concerned about increasing investment in TB interventions in the country.

In a statement to commemorate this year’s World TB Day in Accra, Mr. Ahenu noted that urgent steps must be taken to improve programme management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation as well as operations research to support treatment and screening strategies for TB and HIV.

“Scaling up towards accelerated universal access to TB control through a comprehensive strategic plan developed with the support and active involvement of all stakeholders as the national response to the ravaging epidemic should be the way to go,” he stated.

He said the marginalised and vulnerable citizens' involvement in the preparation of the TB strategic plan has been limited over the years, adding “there should be a concerted effort to get them involved in TB interventions”.

This, Mr Ahenu noted, will help support community mobilization to enhance uptake of active TB/HIV case finding in rural communities whilst enhancing community members’ awareness and knowledge of TB/HIV.

“As the Bono Regional Coordinator of Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health, I can confidently say there is still the perception among the public that TB is a spiritual disease so we must do more to help with TB and HIV stigma reduction in our communities,” he stressed.

Mr Ahenu revealed that Global Media Foundation in its new strategic plan on TB/HIV control from 2021 to 2024 is focusing on Community-Level Behavior Change Communication and Prevention.

This, he said, will enhance community members’ awareness and knowledge of TB/HIV as well as stigma reduction issues in rural communities across the country.

He added, “it will also support community mobilization to enhance uptake of active TB/HIV case finding in rural communities”.

The foundation, he pointed out, will develop and distribute information, education and communication materials and pamphlets on TB/HIV to most at-risk community members in the country, especially in rural communities.