Ubumbano Voice
By Mike Van Kamande
Nsanje District Council Labour Officer James Magola Phiri has said small-scale miners put their lives in danger through hazardous working conditions which expose them to Tuberculosis and other airborne ailments.
Speaking on Friday during a Tuberculosis and Leprosy Elimination Programme media tour in the district Phiri said they conduct contact tracing exercises, monitoring and surveillance and awareness on dangers of TB to miners.
“Mining is regarded as a hazardous job and some miners clearly contravene labour laws but our responsibility is to ensure employers meet minimum occupational safety standards. “We should know that nearly 4000 persons in mining areas are suspected to have TB but after screening 20-30 percent are confirmed to have the disease which is almost double that of the rest of the population which hovers at around 7-10 per cent,” Phiri said.
He said the number of people working in mines found with TB has gone done with no case diagnosed this year because of intensified efforts in spatum collection and screening in mining areas accrued from the TB in Mines project funded by World Bank and Malawi government.
Tengani TB volunteer said many people who work in the mining area lack protective gear and so easily contract TB.
National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Elimination Programme manager James Mpunga said they are enhancing social support for TB interventions in order to fight the disease.
“We are more determine to fighting TB especially in areas and occupations prone to contracting the disease such as mining,” he said.
