COVID Africa TB USAGM
Metadata
- COVID Africa TB USAGM
- March 9, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English USAGM SHARE (PLAYBOOK SLUG: COVID-AFRICA TB HEADLINE: African Nations Appeal for TB Funding Amid COVID Disruptions TEASER: Diagnosis and treatment for TB dropped 20% during the pandemic. PUBLISHED AT: Wednesday, 03/09/2022 at 9:30AM BYLINE: Linda Givetash, Zaheer Cassim CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: JOHANNESBURG VIDEOGRAPHER: Zaheer Cassim VIDEO EDITOR: SCRIPT EDITORS: Salem Solomon, DLJ VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original, Zoom PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO X TRT: 2:45 VID APPROVED BY: MAS TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR NOTES: There is a radio story accompanying this piece.)) ((INTRO)) [[Ahead of World Tuberculosis Day (March 24), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is calling for governments to renew the fight against the respiratory illness, which kills over one million people each year. In South Africa, a hotspot for TB, a mobile screening team is trying to make up for disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Linda Givetash reports from Johannesburg.]] ((NARRATOR)) Despite being treatable and preventable, tuberculosis is a leading killer in South Africa. During the coronavirus pandemic, testing for the TB dropped dramatically with deadly consequences. Latoya Wizer’s 32-year-old partner was among the casualties. ((Latoya Wizer, Spouse of TB victim)) (English, 12 secs)) “His tongue, he was always saying that it is feeling bad, he didn't even taste the food. It's whereby I asked him ‘Let’s go to the clinic and test.’ It’s whereby we find out that, he's positive.” ((NARRATOR)) Although Wizer’s partner was on treatment for two months, he succumbed to TB last August. Testing did ensure their infant son was put on preventative treatment. Both Wizer and the baby remain healthy, but she struggles with her loss. (((Latoya Wizer, Spouse of TB victim)) (English, 06 secs)) “I did wish, because maybe we did find out sooner, maybe he would have still been alive.” ((NARRATOR)) Her experience is not unique. An estimated 1.8 billion people globally are infected with TB — disproportionately affecting those in poorer nations. The Global Fund says development of new TB treatments has long stagnated. And the onset of the coronavirus has made matters worse. ((Mohammed Yassin, Global Fund Senior Disease Advisor)) ((English, 24 secs)) ((Mandatory cg: Zoom)) “We have seen more than 20 percent drop in the number of people who are access diagnosis and treatment.” (11.37) “And then the transmission will continue and that will contribute to overall TB incidences and mortality. TB mortality for the first time increased to 1.5 million from the 1.4 million in 2019.” ((NARRATOR)) This new mobile clinic supported by the Global Fund aims to close the gap in TB testing. It’s reaching people like Wizer who struggle to get to clinics. ((Ashley Mbokota, Radiographer)) (English, 17 secs)) “If you don’t know, you can’t take, you can’t take — you can’t protect people next to you from something that we don't know that you have. Even if you're not showing any symptoms. So, we just check them. After screening, what we normally do if we pick up that they have TB, we make sure that we trace the TB, like in families, friends, they all come and test.” ((NARRATOR)) Governments are also learning from mistakes made during the coronavirus pandemic to improve treatment for illnesses that went neglected. ((Dr. Ben Montoedi, Clinical Manager of HIV and TB Programs)) ((English, 20 sec)) “In hindsight, we should have, when we are investigating for COVID, also investigated for TB. But we have realized that we are rectifying our mistakes, we are re-challenging our efforts now to integrate COVID activities with primary health care activities, including TB services now.” ((NARRATOR)) To ensure efforts like this can have the greatest impact, the Global Fund is appealing to the international community for $18 billion. It says the funding will correct setbacks caused by the pandemic and move the world closer to eliminating diseases like tuberculosis. ((Linda Givetash, for VOA News, Johannesburg))
- Transcript/Script USAGM SHARE (PLAYBOOK SLUG: COVID-AFRICA TB HEADLINE: African Nations Appeal for TB Funding Amid COVID Disruptions TEASER: Diagnosis and treatment for TB dropped 20% during the pandemic. PUBLISHED AT: Wednesday, 03/09/2022 at 9:30AM BYLINE: Linda Givetash, Zaheer Cassim CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: JOHANNESBURG VIDEOGRAPHER: Zaheer Cassim VIDEO EDITOR: SCRIPT EDITORS: Salem Solomon, DLJ VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original, Zoom PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO X TRT: 2:45 VID APPROVED BY: MAS TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR NOTES: There is a radio story accompanying this piece.)) ((INTRO)) [[Ahead of World Tuberculosis Day (March 24), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is calling for governments to renew the fight against the respiratory illness, which kills over one million people each year. In South Africa, a hotspot for TB, a mobile screening team is trying to make up for disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Linda Givetash reports from Johannesburg.]] ((NARRATOR)) Despite being treatable and preventable, tuberculosis is a leading killer in South Africa. During the coronavirus pandemic, testing for the TB dropped dramatically with deadly consequences. Latoya Wizer’s 32-year-old partner was among the casualties. ((Latoya Wizer, Spouse of TB victim)) (English, 12 secs)) “His tongue, he was always saying that it is feeling bad, he didn't even taste the food. It's whereby I asked him ‘Let’s go to the clinic and test.’ It’s whereby we find out that, he's positive.” ((NARRATOR)) Although Wizer’s partner was on treatment for two months, he succumbed to TB last August. Testing did ensure their infant son was put on preventative treatment. Both Wizer and the baby remain healthy, but she struggles with her loss. (((Latoya Wizer, Spouse of TB victim)) (English, 06 secs)) “I did wish, because maybe we did find out sooner, maybe he would have still been alive.” ((NARRATOR)) Her experience is not unique. An estimated 1.8 billion people globally are infected with TB — disproportionately affecting those in poorer nations. The Global Fund says development of new TB treatments has long stagnated. And the onset of the coronavirus has made matters worse. ((Mohammed Yassin, Global Fund Senior Disease Advisor)) ((English, 24 secs)) ((Mandatory cg: Zoom)) “We have seen more than 20 percent drop in the number of people who are access diagnosis and treatment.” (11.37) “And then the transmission will continue and that will contribute to overall TB incidences and mortality. TB mortality for the first time increased to 1.5 million from the 1.4 million in 2019.” ((NARRATOR)) This new mobile clinic supported by the Global Fund aims to close the gap in TB testing. It’s reaching people like Wizer who struggle to get to clinics. ((Ashley Mbokota, Radiographer)) (English, 17 secs)) “If you don’t know, you can’t take, you can’t take — you can’t protect people next to you from something that we don't know that you have. Even if you're not showing any symptoms. So, we just check them. After screening, what we normally do if we pick up that they have TB, we make sure that we trace the TB, like in families, friends, they all come and test.” ((NARRATOR)) Governments are also learning from mistakes made during the coronavirus pandemic to improve treatment for illnesses that went neglected. ((Dr. Ben Montoedi, Clinical Manager of HIV and TB Programs)) ((English, 20 sec)) “In hindsight, we should have, when we are investigating for COVID, also investigated for TB. But we have realized that we are rectifying our mistakes, we are re-challenging our efforts now to integrate COVID activities with primary health care activities, including TB services now.” ((NARRATOR)) To ensure efforts like this can have the greatest impact, the Global Fund is appealing to the international community for $18 billion. It says the funding will correct setbacks caused by the pandemic and move the world closer to eliminating diseases like tuberculosis. ((Linda Givetash, for VOA News, Johannesburg))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date March 9, 2022 09:20 EST
- Byline Linda Givetash
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America