Failure to find all TB cases defeats us in #endTB efforts
SHOBHA SHUKLA - CNS
If we fail to find all cases of an infectious disease (and put them on care), then it will keep spreading. "We are not able to find all TB cases as of now. We had an estimated 1.1 million new TB cases in 2023 in Indonesia as per the latest WHO Global TB Report 2024. But the highest we could reach with TB services was around 804,800. So, we still missed a few hundred thousands. If we do not find these missing cases, and put them on treatment, they will remain there as a source of infection to the rest of the community," rightly said Dr Erlina Burhan, a widely acclaimed TB and lung disease medical expert.
Breaking the chain of infection transmission is central to disease prevention and control
"So, while we cure people who we find, it is also critically important to note that those who we miss are still transmitting the disease to others - and going through avoidable suffering because treatment, care and support is free in public sector. So, I am very supportive of the global call to #FindAllTB, #TreatAllTB and #PreventAllTB - so that we can #endTB. If we miss even one of these pillars, we will not be able to achieve TB elimination," added Dr Burhan. And we have to find, treat and prevent TB in a people-centred, rights-based and gender transformative manner.
Dr Erlina Burhan, is a leading lung infection specialist at the Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia, and Professor of Pulmonology at the University of Indonesia. She is on the Board of Directors of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and is also a member of the WHO TB Guideline Development Board. Dr Burhan was in conversation with CNS at the Union World Lung Health Conference (largest world conference on TB and lung diseases) held recently in Bali.
As per the WHO Global TB Report 2024, 30 high TB burden countries accounted for 87% of the global TB burden in 2023. Eight countries accounted for more than two thirds of the worldwide total: India (26%), Indonesia (10%), China (6.8%), the Philippines (6.8%) and Pakistan (6.3%), Nigeria (4.6%), Bangladesh (3.5%) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (3.1%).
Failure to prevent TB
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
