PROLONGED exposure to silica dust and a lack of protective gear, places Artisanal Small Scale Miners at greater risk of Tuberculosis (TB) infection compared to other population groups.
By Michael Gwarisa recently inn Kwekwe
Zimbabwe is one of the three countries in Southern Africa that has the highest number of artisanal small scale miners with Tanzania leading the pack, followed by Mozambique and then Zimbabwe on third place out of the 15 SADC countries.
Data gathered from a Care and TB program that is being conducted by the Baines Occupational Health Services (BOHS) and other organisations in the nationa TB response indicate that in 2021, the yield for diagnosed TB within the artisanal small scale miners was 21 percent. TB yield is interpreted as the percentage of contacts screened who were diagnosed with active TB as a result of TB contact investigation activities.
Speaking during a Private Public Partnership (PPP) engagement meeting in Kwekwe recently, Jointed Hands Welfare Organisation (JHWO) Executive Director, Dr Donald Tobaiwa said artisanal miners were at risk of both HIV and TB.
In terms of exposure levels to silica dust, artisanal miners have a 3 to 4 fold risk, in terms of exposure level for HIV, they have a 5t o 6 fold risk. If you then multiply that risk, ultimately they have an 18 fold risk for TB because of silicosis and HIV combined together,” said Dr Tobaiwa.
Jointed Hands is also part of the Care and TB program and is equally working with Bains. Dr Tobaiwa added that while the yield for diagnosed TB was 21 percent in 2021, the absolute number was 205 December 2020 to January 2022.
“In terms of diagnosed silicosis, we had 24 percent which is 227 in terms of absolute numbers that we got for diagnosed silicosis. Silicotics are initiated on TB Prevention Treatment (TPT) and we had 92 which is the absolute numbers, which was 64 percent and those that were HIV positive were 184 which is 19 percent.”
Despite the high risk of TB infection due to exposure to silica, artisanal miners are still lagging behind in terms of accessing TB screening and treatment services largely due to poor health seeking behavior since they spend most of their time underground.
National TB Program, Advocacy Communication and Social Mobilization Office in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Mr Andrew Nyambo said even though there have been efforts to reach artisanal miners with TB services, they remain an elusive population group as they are constantly on the move and they alter identities along the way.
“In a week, artisanal miners can change numbers three times or more. At times they even remove the line or sim card and throw it away. This is at times the same number they would have given the nurse prior to the incident. When we start phoning that line, it is no longer reachable and we no longer know where they are.
“However, we have commenced screening of TB in among in miners. The program is still in its infancy and is yet to be rolled out throughout the country. So far we are doing it only in the Midlands province and Matabeleland South. We have districts in the Midlands province and Mat South that are participating in that program,” said Nyambo.
