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Health experts say Malawi cannot win the fight against tuberculosis unless more efforts target men who account for six out of every 10 TB cases. This was highlighted at the first National Public Health Research Dissemination Conference in Lilongwe, where findings from the study “No Man Left Behind: Gendered Pathways to TB Response” were shared. Dr. Eliya Zulu from the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) said men are more exposed and less likely to seek care. “We can’t end TB without paying attention to men. Most work in risky places like mines and bars and delay going to the hospital,” he said. AFIDEP’s LIGHT programme is bringing TB services closer to men’s workplaces and communities to encourage early testing and treatment. Dr. Kuzani Bendera from the National TB and Leprosy Elimination Programme said Malawi has reduced TB cases from 197 to 113 per 100,000 people since 2015 and aims to reach 100 by 2025. “Mobile diagnostic units have screened about a million people and found around 10,000 TB cases, mostly among men,” he said. MBC journalist Meclina Chirwa, who is also a member of the National TB and leprosy Media Network, added that the media should continue to play a crucial role in promoting gender-sensitive TB awareness and reducing stigma. LIGHT is a six-year global health research program funded by UK Aid and led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, with partners in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and the UK. By Mirriam Kaliza
