June 1 is celebrated annually worldwide as the International Day for Protection of Children (Children’s Day) to honor children and raise awareness of children’s rights.
This year Children’s Day was marked on June 3 at the Paediatric TB Hospital in Dushanbe with the participation of patients, their caregivers, healthcare workers and staff of the medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors Without Borders). The event was organized for children of all ages who are currently undergoing treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis – a form of TB that does not respond to common TB treatment.
The same event was also held on June 4 in the Paediatric wards’s play therapy room of the State Institution “National Center of Tuberculosis, Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery” for the children undergoing treatment there.
MSF decorated the yard of the hospital with balloons and colorful ribbons to celebrate this day, to create a happy and festive atmosphere as well as to promote the health and wellbeing of the children. Throughout the celebration, children’s entertainment complex “Aladdin” attracted children to various games, quizzes and games with cartoon characters, as well as dancing. MSF presented each child, who attended the event, with a reusable water bottle, and each child got a small “sweet box”- a bag with some candy, biscuits, an apple and juice. Additionally, MSF’s mental health support team held a brief discussion with teenagers and their parents to learn how their treatment process is going.
It should be noted that this special event was held in addition to regular celebrations that are hosted for children while they are under hospital care. For example, children are presented with small birthday gifts on their birthdays. These regular events help children to stay motivated so that they can overcome the challenges of their treatment and return to normal life.
The same bacteria that cause tuberculosis in adults also cause tuberculosis in children. However, the symptoms of tuberculosis are less obvious in children than they are in adults, many children do not have the same cough as adults and this becomes a reason for delayed diagnosis of TB in children. If an adult who is close to your children has confirmed tuberculosis, you should take your children to a health facility for testing. Remember – TB is curable!
Since 2011, MSF in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of Tajikistan has been implementing the Comprehensive Paediatric TB care Project, which main objective is to improve diagnosis and treatment of drug resistant TB in children and improving access to comprehensive TB care.
In addition to the TB activities in Dushanbe, MSF also runs a paediatric and family HIV programme in Kulob city and the surrounding Kulob zone.
The HIV programme focuses on testing and treatment, psychosocial care, strengthening local capacity, as well as improving infection control measures in health facilities.
