The Union Office in Myanmar hosted an interactive information session on tuberculosis in a high school in Kyauk Mee, a town outside of Mandalay, this month as part of the Programme to Increase Catchment of Tuberculosis Suspects (PICTS). This session, attended by some 500 students and teachers, aimed to increase awareness about TB in the community and teach participants how to recognise the signs and symptoms in themselves and those around them.
This session, which was taught by Union staff and volunteers, focused on tuberculosis and its transmission, signs, symptoms and prevention, as well as how and where to access free treatment. Informational materials were also distributed to participants.
In Myanmar, The Union regularly offers community mobilisation activities – including nearly 500 sessions of this type every year – in the seven townships of Mandalay. These activities are delivered through PICTS, which reinforces case finding and access to diagnosis through community involvement and awareness. The Union’s partners in this project are the Ministry of Health, the Department of Public Health, the National Tuberculosis Programme and Township Health Centres. Funding is provided by a grant from The Global Fund Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.