Mr Maxwell Nana Yaw Antwi, a Health Personnel at the Chest Department of the Tema General Hospital, said the greatest danger in the fight against tuberculosis was not the disease itself, but the reluctance of people to seek early medical attention. 

“The greatest threat to our health is not the bacteria we can treat, but the silence we refuse to break,” he said. 

The Tema General Hospital, in collaboration with the Tema Industrial Mission Technical Institute, organised a health talk to educate students on the rising concerns of tuberculosis, focusing on prevention, treatment, and early detection. 

Mr Antwi highlighted a worrying trend where individuals dismissed persistent coughs as minor ailments and resorted to self-medication with over-the-counter cough syrups. 

He explained that while such medication might provide temporary relief, a cough that disappears briefly and returns with greater intensity is a serious medical warning sign. 

According to him, any cough lasting two weeks or more requires professional testing, adding that tuberculosis testing and treatment are provided free of charge at public health facilities, including the Tema General Hospital. 

Mrs Afia Nsiah Sarfo, a Public Health Nurse and TB Coordinator at the Tema General Hospital, explained that tuberculosis is an airborne disease that spreads easily in shared living spaces, poorly ventilated rooms, and crowded environments. 

She cautioned that a seemingly “normal” cough from a friend, classmate, or family member could silently infect everyone in the same space. 

Mrs Sarfo urged the public to stop relying on local chemical shops for chronic symptoms and instead seek care at accredited health facilities. 

She stressed that tuberculosis was completely treatable and curable with proper medical management, adding that early detection protects not only the patient but also the wider community from the invisible threat posed by the disease.