Sierra Leone Ministry of Health nurse Umu Amara sitting inside the drug-resistant tuberculosis ward at the Makeni regional hospital.
Umu believes that one of the most difficult things about her job is diagnosing and treating children, as well as the fact that the dire economic situation of most patients negatively impacts their adherence to treatment. Most parents and caregivers cannot afford to pay for transportation to get to a health facility and some cannot afford to buy enough food to take their tuberculosis medication as prescribed.
“TB is a difficult disease to diagnose and treat, especially among children. We often have to start treatment based on clinical signs as recommended by WHO”. says Umu.