With the rise of tuberculosis cases in NCD, people are encouraged to get themselves tested for TB as the services have come closer to their communities through the Emergency TB Systematic Screening Intervention that’s currently underway at Koki Wanigela. This program comes under the National Department of Health’s (NDoH) Systematic Screening Intervention (SSI) program implemented through the Emergency Tuberculosis Project (ETP) with the support of the National Capital District Provincial Health Authority (NCDPHA). NDoH TB Program Manager Dr. Margaret Kal said, so far in the Moresby South Communities, they have screened 4 out 12 sites and only half of the population came forward. She said, in the past, patients had to wait a week or so to get their results, but with the new X-ray machine on site, patients will only wait for 2 hours after collection of sputum and their test results will be available. “You don’t need to go to the hospital. You come here. We screen you and doctors will do your X-Ray on the spot and tell you if you have TB or not depending on the X-Ray. And after only 2 hours after collecting your sputum, we will be able to give your results.” Dr. Kal also stated that, if they know that they have TB, the patient will start treatment right away. “We are doing everything that we can do so that you can get better if you have TB. What we need from you is to come forward because the services are here are accessible.” She added the other half of the population needs to come forward to get tested. “If you are a member of the community here, know that the services here are to help you and not to find out you have TB and stigmatize you. We are here to help you. ” She is calling on all families and communities within Moresby South to come forward and get themselves tested. She said people need to understand that TB is not a personal sickness. TB is referred to as a market because anyone can catch the disease when infected people cough, sneeze, or spit. “If you got TB, then know that you got it from someone else. You can get it on the bus, shops, in the house or anywhere in Port Moresby because NCD has the highest TB burden in the country.” She further stated that, based on the screening so far, they have screened five to six thousand of the population and out of that, there’s almost two thousand TB cases. “So, if we extrapolate that to the district population of Moresby South alone, we think that there could be almost 30-40 thousand people living with TB in Moresby South alone and that is happening every year.” “But we are not able to see it because people are no coming forward to access the free services.” She is now calling on families and the communities to support anyone who is diagnosed with TB to come forward and seek treatment.