Tanzania: Tuberculosis fight seen succeeding but ...
Tanzania has surpassed the World aspiration of treating new Tuberculosis (TB) cases annually by reaching 88 per cent target, out of the 85 per cent set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
But as the target is maintained, the country is still recording high TB prevalence rates annually, with statistics showing that there were 63,892 registered patients in 2012 compared to 52,000 in 1999.
Delivering a national message ahead of marking the Word TB Day on Monday, the Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Seif Suleiman Rashid, said despite the underlying challenges in combating the scourge, the government is determined to serve more victims.
The initiative will be carried out though the home based care programme which has also recorded tremendous achievements in recent years, reaching 78 per cent overage as at last year.
He mentioned other strategies as extending more treatment centres and referral hospitals to supplement services largely done by the Kibong'oto National TB Hospital in Kilimanjaro Region on Monday.
"I call upon all local governments to make sure TB programmes are given special priorities to strengthen and reinforce TB medical endeavours, as we strive hard to make sure medical supplies are reaching target areas and intended patients countrywide," he said.
As the TB day is marked worldwide today, many developing countries including Tanzania are still unable to detect timely and attend to new victims effectively, with findings showing inadequate intervention skills among the substantial number of health services providers on the disease.
Data also show men are increasingly been affected by TB than women (59 per cent in relation to 40 per cent), but the good news is that patients with HIV-AIDS are now cured today compared to the past, thanks to early detection and timely interventions like modern lab tests.
According to National TB and Leprosy Programme (NTLP), Dar es Salaam is still leading with a TB prevalence logging 13,983 patients equivalent to 21.9 per cent of all patients nationwide, followed by Mwanza (5,949), Shinyanga (4,074), Mbeya (3,858), Morogoro (3,270) Arusha (3,132), Mara (3,140), Tanga (2,917), Iringa (2,896) and Kilimanjaro (2,289).
According to WHO, this year is an opportunity to raise awareness about the burden of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide and the status of TB prevention and control efforts.
"TB is curable, but current efforts to find, treat and cure everyone who gets ill with the disease are not sufficient. Of the nine million people a year who get sick with TB, three million of them are 'missed' by health systems," read the WHO statement.
World TB Day provides the opportunity to call for further action to reach the thee million, as all partners are encouraged to intensify the efforts and help take forward innovative approaches to ensure that everyone suffering from TB has access to TB diagnosis, treatment and cure.
Source: Tanzania Daily News
