Georgetown : In observance of world TB Day on March 24, 2015, statistics have shown that Guyana has a reduction in incidences in 11 years.
“World TB Day” was observed to build public awareness about the global epidemic of Tuberculosis-TB and the efforts to eliminate this disease.
The actual number of new TB cases diagnosed by the National TB Programme (NTP) rose steadily throughout the 90s, and reflected an increase after the establishment of the Directly Observed Treatment Short (DOTS) strategy (2002-2007). Annual cases then declined from 2008 and stabilised for four years in the midst of further DOTS expansion.
The DOTS System was successfully implemented in all the regions and has been essential to ensuring case detection, standardised treatment, with supervision and patient support.
To this end, Guyana is already showing a good trajectory of declining TB incidence. In fact, in 2013, alone there was a reduction in the number of cases; from 92 per a 100,000 population, in 2012 to 78 per 100,000 population in 2013.
There was a further decline in 2014 to 72 per 100,000 population, which is a positive indication that TB is on the decline in Guyana as it is the lowest incident in 11 years.
This decline is almost noticeable, in that, in 2014 only 12 new TB cases were detected in all of the persons, the lowest number of cases recorded in over 10 years.
This achievement is also as a result of excellent screening programme which is done in all of the correctional facilities. The team at the NTP works in collaboration with the medical staff of the prison and other TB staff in the regions.
The screening programme ensures all persons who come into contact with infected inmates and new inmates are tested and preventative therapy is provided. The investigative aspect of the programme is also important and includes periodic test, X-rays, sputum microscopy, mantoux tests and the newly introduced genexpert testing for those patients on retreatment regimen and those affected with HIV.
The NTP partners with the National Care and Treatment Centre (NCTC) to conduct a monthly joint TB/HIV clinic at the main prison while the NTP visit other prisons throughout the year. Persons who are diagnosed are given the necessary supplement to boost their system. There is also a TB control committee which was established in 2009 in collaboration with the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO).
While these interventions have been working, there have been some challenges, one of which is the HIV epidemic within the population. Another challenge includes the high default rates in difficult population, migrants, homes and substance abusers.
This year World TB Day is being observed under the theme "Reach the 3 million; Reach, Treat, Cure everyon
Tuberculosis is one of the world's top health challenges with nine million new TB cases and the deaths of nearly 1.5 million people each year. World TB Day, which was first observed in 1982, is aimed at mobilising political and social commitment for further progress towards eliminating TB as a public health burden.
TB is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Over 95% of tuberculosis deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, Poor communities and vulnerable groups, however, this airborne disease is a risk to all.
TB is generally classified as being either latent or active. Latent TB is where the bacteria are inactive, but present in the body, and the patient has no symptoms and is not contagious. Active TB is where the bacteria is active and make the patient ill.
When a person develops active tuberculosis, the symptoms are cough, fever, night sweats and weight loss. When an active TB infected person coughs, sneezes, shouts, or spits, bacteria can enter the air and come into contact with uninfected people who breathe the bacteria into their lungs, thus becoming infected.
When a person becomes infected, the bacteria in the lungs multiply causing pneumonia; the patient experiences chest pain and has a persistent cough which often brings up blood.
This disease is among the top three causes of death for women aged 15 to 44, and accounted for an estimated 500,000 cases and 74,000 deaths among children in 2012.
Nevertheless, the death rate for tuberculosis dropped by 45% between 1990 and 2013, an estimated 37 million lives were saved through diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2013.
About one-third of the world's population has latent TB, which means people have been infected by TB bacteria but are not (yet) ill with the disease and cannot transmit the disease.
In 2013, the largest number of new TB cases occurred in the South East Asia and Western Pacific Regions, accounting for 56% of new cases globally, while Africa carried the greatest proportion of new cases per population with 280 cases per 100,000 populations in 2013.
However, the post-2015, TB strategy aims to end the TB pandemic by 2035.
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