Empowering Marginalized Urban Islanders through Tuberculosis Detections and Community Dots Treatment by Using Modified IMCI Tools in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

• Main Authors: Khamisah Awang Lukman, Mohammad Saffree Jeffree, Mohd Yusof Ibrahim, Nelbon Giloi, Aza Sherin Mohamad Yusuff, Kamruddin Ahmed, Daw Khin Saw Naing, Zulfarina Lamit
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Subjects: LG Individual institutions - Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean islands, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific islands; RA Public aspects of medicine
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/24962/1/Empowering%20Marginalized%20Urban%20Islanders%20Through%20Tuberculosis%20Detections%20and%20Community%20Dots%20Treatment%20By%20Using%20Modified%20IMCI%20Tools%20in%20Kota%20Kinabalu.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/24962/

Gaya islander has contributed re-emerging communicable diseases including Tuberculosis in Kota Kinabalu. JKKK claimed no health facility and requested UMS to facilitate in empowering the community to optimize their own health. They live in overcrowding house, untreated water, poor sanitation and inappropriate garbage management. This project has been carried out by the UMS health specialist. The objectives are to identify the knowledge gaps and transfer the knowledge for empowerment. The empowerment activities started from March 2017, during weekends in SMK Gaya Island. The program adapted from IMCI tools (WHO). We did engagements with island community, Health Department and DBKK. Open interviews to recruit 50 Sukarelawan Rakan Stop TB (SRST) were conducted. We did coordination workshops among UMS trainers and GI on contents, delivery and evaluations. Knowledge transferred through participants-centred learning activities such as video show, drama, group-works, quiz, demonstration, interactive lectures and visits to TB clinic and SABATA. Pre-intervention, volunteers had moderate-low mean scores of TB knowledge (72.4+14.8) and attitude (45.8+2.6). Each workshop, 95% agree the session was easy to understand. Attendance was 80%. After 8 workshops, they able to lead, communicate effectively, how to detect TB, how to monitor DOTS strategy, how to prevent TB at home, prepare healthy plate and prevent malnutrition. Drama shows on stigma and discrimination was presented well. Feedback records were created. The quiz results showed 100% pass. In Nov 2017, SRST able to organize seminar, give talks, do TB screening, monitor TB treatments and formed association. The project was able to empower the volunteers to take care their own communities from getting TB. The transferred knowledge will enhance TB control in Gaya Island. The success of the projects will depend on community to take control of their situations, exercise influence, and achieve their goals to stop TB.