THe impact of covid epidemic: a TB patients perspective
“It hasn’t been easy for me and my family, we stay indoors except for days I have to go to the hospital for my TB drugs and that of two of my children”. Victor says, a Farmer and TB patient in Benue State
The impact of COVID epidemic from a health care worker perspective
“Going to work during this lockdown has been really hectic, we don’t know when a Covid-19 patient will walk in for TB screening, you know the symptoms are similar, and our face masks are depleted plus we can’t get taxi or Keke (tricycle) that can take us to and from work at a reasonable price, we just want this pandemic to be over”
Says Ofon, a TB screening officer in Akwa Ibom.
Abdulfata Abdulsalami
Abdulfata Abdulsalami was a technician with the Nigerian Police Force, his job was to fix damaged police cars, something that required lots of energy and physical strength. As he was paid for every car he fixed, he repaired every car he could, and there was never any time to relax. Until 2014 he was on top of his game and always fixed more cars than his colleagues, then he started to feel sick and bit by bit his performance began to slip.
Maryam Hassan
To say that Maryam Hassan’s life has been hard is an understatement. From the age of nine, she suffered from constant pain and fever, then came a loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, and even swollen feet. She was living with her grandparents who tried to treat her with herbal remedies, but she did not recover, so they took her to a local pharmacist who pushed them to seek proper medical care at the hospital.
Endurance Sabo
“Had it not been for the wonder truck, she would have died,” says Endurance Sabo. She is talking of the Wellness On Wheels (WoW) truck, an initiative of the USAID-funded Challenge TB project. “I call it the wonder truck because it has done wonders for us,” she continues, it was the medical staff onboard the truck who diagnosed her niece Rachel with TB, and ultimately got her on the treatment that saved her life.
Munirat Alhassan
Munirat Alhassan was not only the secretary of the National Association of Road Transport Organization in Nigeria, but also processed and sold cotton wool too. She worked hard so that she could take care of her three brothers and sisters because her father had suffered from a stroke and was unable to work.
David Sunday Ema
When he is not working as an administrator in the Nigerian Ministry of Health, David Sunday Ema coaches the local boy’s football team. Nicknamed ‘Skippo’ after a talented local football coach, he is well respected and loved by his family and the community alike.