Young Volunteers Join DHDC's Fight Against Tuberculosis in Nigeria

Debriche Health Development Centre (DHDC) successfully conducted a fresh batch of volunteer onboarding program for its Round 12 on July 12, 2024.

DHDC, a registered NGO and health-oriented civil society organisation, is deeply involved in changing poor health narratives through innovative health solutions across all primary healthcare areas. A key strength of DHDC is its community-based interventions that seek to address pressing health issues, particularly in underserved communities across Nigeria.

The onboarding program aimed to unite young and intelligent Nigerians from diverse backgrounds to work closely with DHDC as volunteers and TB champions, focusing on the prevention and eradication of tuberculosis in Nigeria. This year's round saw over 40 enthusiastic volunteers ready to contribute to the fight against tuberculosis, aligning with the World Health Organisation (WHO) 1+1 youth initiative and SDG3 goal to end TB globally by 2030.

The onboarding session held online via Zoom, provided volunteers with essential education about tuberculosis, their roles, and expectations as TB advocates in Nigeria.

Mrs. Deborah Iberi Ikeh, Executive Director of DHDC, highlighted the importance of youth engagement in the fight against TB in Nigeria and in the global fight against tuberculosis.

"Nigeria is the 6th country in the world with the highest number of people with tuberculosis. TB cannot be stopped globally without first winning the war against the disease in Nigeria."

Deborah Iberi Ikeh, Executive Director, DHDC

Volunteers were introduced to the OneImpact Nigeria App and the One Minute Silence campaign. The OneImpact Nigeria app, available on iOS and Play Store, is a free digital platform for the general public, especially those affected by TB in Nigeria. It provides users with access to information about TB and its prevention, the rights of those affected by TB, a chat forum, the location of health centres (DOT centres), a platform to report stigma and other TB related human rights violations, a survey amongst other services.

The session also highlighted the benefits of volunteering with DHDC, terms of reference for volunteering, and the next steps for action in the coming weeks.

The program concluded with a lively Q&A session, where many volunteers applauded DHDC for creating opportunities for bright minds to join the fight against tuberculosis through volunteerism.

The OneImpact app can be downloaded for free from Play Store (Android) and the App Store (Apple) from the links below:

1. TB testing and treatment are free in Nigeria.
2. Coughing for two weeks or more, call 3340.
3. Once a person is on treatment and taking their medications accordingly, they can no longer spread the disease; therefore, there is no need to stigmatize them; instead, support them to continue and complete their treatment.
4. There is a TB preventive treatment used to prevent TB, protecting close contacts of TB patients from getting the disease.
5. For more information, download the OneImpact Nigeria App now for FREE (on Play Store for Android users: http://shorturl.at/bz139 OR on the App Store for iPhone users: http://shorturl.at/qCFTW) or type the keyword "OneImpact Nigeria" on your phone's application store search bar and click on the install button next to the OneImpact Nigeria app.

For questions or more information, you can visit the DHDC website at www.dhdc.org.ng