ARTICLES

80,000 NEW TB CASES YEARLY

With an estimated 80,000 new cases of tuberculosis occurring in Uganda annually, the World Health Organisation has asked the Ministry of Health to declare it a national emergency.

The organisation's representative in Uganda, Dr. George Melville, expressed concern that Uganda continues to lag behind in meeting the global targets on detection and treatment of TB cases.

Uganda is in position 15 out of 22 �high burden' TB countries. Of the 80,000 new cases that occur every year, 60% are infectious. The disease affects the most productive age group of 15 to 49 and kills within two years if not treated.

"The global strategy to stop TB relies on early detection and effective treatment," Melville said in a speech marking World TB Day on Saturday. Global targets for early detection are at 70%, while those for successful treatment stand at 85%. "Uganda continues to lag behind the set targets, with only 49% of the expected new cases detected and only 73% successfully treated in 2006," the World Health Organisation noted.

As a result of the continent's poor performance on TB, largely attributed to the high prevalence of HIV, African ministers of Health in a meeting in Maputo in 2005 declared the disease an emergency.

The ministers also resolved to develop and implement emergency plans to speed up the control of the disease and make progress in achieving the targets.

Melville further noted that the World Health Organisation had been working with Uganda's National TB and Leprosy Programme to develop an emergency plan, which focused on poorly performing district.

"I urge the Ministry of Health to finalise this, to officially declare TB an emergency in the country and to allocate sufficient resources to implement the plan," he appealed. His statement was read by Dr. Miriam Nanyunga at the WHO headquarters in Mpigi. Apac district scooped an award from �Stop TB Partnership' for being the best performer in TB treatment in 2006, while Kitgum got a certificate for showing the best improvement in controlling the disease.

Mpigi Health Officer, Dr. Ruth Nassanga, was concerned that the district had a detection rate of just 42%. She cited understaffing and meagre resources as some of the problems.

The district chairperson, Al-Haj Badru Kabega Mukalazi, warned the public against drinking unboiled milk.

In his message, WHO's Regional Director, Dr. Luis G. Sambo, noted that in some areas in southern and East Africa, over half of TB patients were also infected with HIV, while at least 40% of AIDS deaths were due to the tuberculosis.

The public heard testimonies from patients who were on treatment and others who had been cured after completing the dosage. The message of the day, under the theme "TB anywhere is TB everywhere," was that tuberculosis, transmitted by air, is curable and drugs are available.