Back and Next - Back and NextTB a major public health problem globally
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Dr Nestor Shivute, the World Health Organisation representative in The Gambia has said that Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem in the world and the African Region contributes about 25 per cent of all TB cases every year though accounting for 11 per cent of the world population.
Dr Shivute made this remarks on Monday in a statement read on behalf of the WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambou, to mark World Tuberculosis Day on the theme “I am stopping TB”.
According to him, member states affirm African leadership in addressing priority health problems, including TB and the directly-observed treatment short-course control programmes are being implemented in all countries. He however added that, notified TB cases have continued to increase.
“During 2006, over 1.3 million TB cases were notified in the African region compared to 1.1 million cases in 2005. Increases were particularly noted in countries where HIV prevalence is high” he said.
The WHO boss in The Gambia then stated that WHO regional committee for Africa passed a resolution declaring TB an emergency and also adopted a regional strategy for the control of the dual epidemic of TB and HIV/AIDS. “The resolution calls for accelerated DOTS expansion, and improved case detection and cure rates. The strategy aims to promote the scaling up of joint TB/HIV interventions as part of routine care for patients with either disease” he said.
He then reported that screening for HIV among TB cases has almost doubled from 141,000 in 2005 to 289,000 in 2006 meaning that 75% screening has been achieved in a few countries in the African Region.
According to him, although the true burden of drug-resistant TB in the Region largely remains unknown but cases have been identified wherever surveys have been undertaken. “Reports from 39 countries in 2007 confirmed existence of 5990 multidrug-resistant TB cases in 22 countries and 395 extensively drug-resistant TB cases in 4 countries. Many others may be passing undetected due to lack of diagnostic capacity in many countries” he said.
He then emphasised the importance of the slogan for this years celebration noting that it indicates the fact that everyone can do something to stop the spread of TB and that every individual’s action counts. “It also underlines the collective responsibility of all individuals and member states as part of the world community to bring TB under control. The first action should be to encourage those persons with cough lasting 3 weeks or more to seek medical attention” he concluded.
Dr Shivute made this remarks on Monday in a statement read on behalf of the WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambou, to mark World Tuberculosis Day on the theme “I am stopping TB”.
According to him, member states affirm African leadership in addressing priority health problems, including TB and the directly-observed treatment short-course control programmes are being implemented in all countries. He however added that, notified TB cases have continued to increase.
“During 2006, over 1.3 million TB cases were notified in the African region compared to 1.1 million cases in 2005. Increases were particularly noted in countries where HIV prevalence is high” he said.
The WHO boss in The Gambia then stated that WHO regional committee for Africa passed a resolution declaring TB an emergency and also adopted a regional strategy for the control of the dual epidemic of TB and HIV/AIDS. “The resolution calls for accelerated DOTS expansion, and improved case detection and cure rates. The strategy aims to promote the scaling up of joint TB/HIV interventions as part of routine care for patients with either disease” he said.
He then reported that screening for HIV among TB cases has almost doubled from 141,000 in 2005 to 289,000 in 2006 meaning that 75% screening has been achieved in a few countries in the African Region.
According to him, although the true burden of drug-resistant TB in the Region largely remains unknown but cases have been identified wherever surveys have been undertaken. “Reports from 39 countries in 2007 confirmed existence of 5990 multidrug-resistant TB cases in 22 countries and 395 extensively drug-resistant TB cases in 4 countries. Many others may be passing undetected due to lack of diagnostic capacity in many countries” he said.
He then emphasised the importance of the slogan for this years celebration noting that it indicates the fact that everyone can do something to stop the spread of TB and that every individual’s action counts. “It also underlines the collective responsibility of all individuals and member states as part of the world community to bring TB under control. The first action should be to encourage those persons with cough lasting 3 weeks or more to seek medical attention” he concluded.
Author: by Sheriff Barry
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