Women participate in Pushing Tuberculosis Backwards in the Community

With the assistance of two non-governmental organizations: the Vietnam - Netherlands Healthcare Committee (NKNV) and the anti-tuberculosis of the Netherlands Royalty (KNCV), Vietnam has implemented the program with nearly 100% of the population gaining access to DOTS. Vietnam’s Government has put a special priority to anti-tuberculosis programs.

Until now, Vietnam faced tuberculosis infection at high alert, ranking 12^th among 22 countries with the greatest number of tuberculosis patients in the world. In the West Pacific area, Vietnam ranks the 3^rd after China and the Philippines. It’s still difficult to access health care services for the people in the mountainous and remote areas, participants of social rehabilitation centers (05 and 06), homeless and mentally ill.

To cope with tuberculosis, the National Tuberculosis Program calls for the participation of social organizations, especially the Vietnam Women’s Union at all levels. Research and reality shows that women and children are vulnerable to tuberculosis. Nowadays, tuberculosis is going to increase and develop complicatedly at many localities nationwide. According to WHO, every year, 3 million people die of tuberculosis, of which women make up 1 million.

Vietnamese women make up nearly 52% of the population. They are also the main labor force in the family and society. They are vulnerable to tuberculosis infection because they have to take care of their husband and children everyday. Therefore, the impact o­n women impacts the whole family. If they have better knowledge of tuberculosis prevention, they can protect not o­nly themselves but also their whole family from the disease.

Since July 1997, with the technical and financial support of the Central Hospital of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases and the National Anti-tuberculosis Program, the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) has implemented the anti-tuberculosis Program o­n the larger and larger scale. With the functions of a mass organization, the VWU has taken the appropriate activities such as to direct the women’s unions at all levels to propaganda and knowledge o­n anti – tuberculosis in residence groups and each family; to organize trainings o­n knowledge and skills to propaganda and assist women to prevent tuberculosis in the family. Up to now, the VWU has organized 30 trainings for propagandists in 116 communes/wards of 60 districts in 20 provinces/cities nationwide. 2000 propagandists have released the booklet “Anti-tuberculosis propagandists” in key communes of 30 Program provinces and 100% of big provinces/cities throughout the country. Up to now, about 50,000 women union’s staff and members have been provided with basic knowledge and skills o­n tuberculosis prevention for the family and community.

To respond to the annual anti-tuberculosis day of the world – 24/3, the VWU held meetings o­n the large scale in Bac Giang and Thai Nguyen province with the participation of hundreds of women and people. The VWU has also organized contests o­n knowledge of tuberculosis prevention since 2002 in the form of writing. The contest has been held twice in 8 provinces, there have been 13,000 contestants, mainly local women union’s staff in 195 communes/wards of 57 districts/towns. This activity is highly appreciated by the VWU.