Tuberculosis, often abbreviated as TB, remains a persistent global health concern, affecting millions of people worldwide. Despite significant advancements in medical science, TB continues to pose challenges in terms of diagnosis, treatment and prevention. On this World TB day, let us understand more about the infectious disease, why it is crucial to combat its spread and how to minimize its impact on public health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the theme of World TB Day 2024 is ‘Yes! We can end TB!’.
The WHO says, “The theme conveys a message of hope that getting back-on-track to turn the tide against the TB epidemic is possible through high level leadership, increased investments and faster uptake of new WHO recommendations.”
It added, “To help countries scale-up access to TB preventive treatment, WHO will release an investment case on scaling up the roll out of TB preventive treatment.”
Here’s a video to understand all about tuberculosis
What is Tuberculosis (TB)
Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affects the lungs but can also target other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, spine, and brain.
It spreads through the air when an infected individual coughs or sneezes, releasing tiny droplets containing the bacteria. Inhalation of these droplets by others can lead to infection.
Global impact of TB
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), TB remains one of the top infectious killers globally, alongside diseases like HIV/AIDS.
In 2020, when Covid-19 was a major killer, an estimated 10 million people fell ill with TB, and around 1.5 million succumbed to the disease. TB disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, where factors like poverty, malnutrition, and limited access to healthcare contribute to its prevalence.
Symptoms of TB
The symptoms of TB can vary depending on the affected area of the body. In pulmonary TB, which affects the lungs, common symptoms include persistent coughing, chest pain, fatigue, weight loss, and coughing up blood.
Extra-pulmonary TB may manifest as symptoms related to the affected organ, such as back pain in spinal TB or blood in the urine in renal TB.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosing TB typically involves a combination of medical history evaluation, physical examination, imaging tests like chest X-rays, and laboratory tests such as sputum analysis.
Treatment usually entails a course of antibiotics over several months, often combining multiple drugs to prevent antibiotic resistance. It’s crucial for patients to complete the full course of treatment to ensure the eradication of the bacteria and reduce the risk of recurrence.
Challenges in TB control
Despite the availability of effective treatments, several challenges persist in the fight against TB. These include limited access to healthcare services, especially in resource-constrained settings, the emergence of drug-resistant strains of the bacterium, and the stigma associated with the disease, which may hinder efforts to seek diagnosis and treatment.
Prevention Strategies
Preventing the spread of tuberculosis includes early detection and treatment of active cases, contact tracing to identify and treat individuals who may have been exposed to TB, vaccination with the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, and addressing social determinants of health that contribute to TB transmission, such as poverty and overcrowded living conditions.
Tuberculosis, or TB, remains a significant global health challenge, with millions of people affected each year. While progress has been made in diagnosis and treatment, concerted efforts are needed to overcome the barriers to effective TB control.
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