New cases and deaths from tuberculosis are on the rise.

Due to the impact of Covid, tuberculosis patients went undetected and untreated, becoming a source of infection in the community, leading to an increase in new cases and deaths.

This information was provided by Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Binh Hoa, Deputy Director of the Central Lung Hospital and Deputy Head of the National Tuberculosis Control Program, at the summary meeting of the project on screening for tuberculosis, Covid-19, and some common respiratory infections at the grassroots level in Vietnam , on August 3rd.

Specifically, the number of deaths due to tuberculosis in our country was 8,400 in 2019, increasing to 12,000 in 2022. In the same year, 103,000 tuberculosis patients were detected nationwide, an increase of nearly 31% compared to 2021 and 1.8% compared to 2020.

"For over 20 years, the incidence and mortality rates of tuberculosis in Vietnam have consistently been on a downward trend. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has reversed the results of many years of tuberculosis prevention and control in our country," Mr. Hoa said.

Consequently, due to the impact of the pandemic, many tuberculosis patients went undetected and untreated, becoming a source of infection in the community. In addition, disruptions in the supply chain of equipment and materials interrupted tuberculosis prevention and control efforts.

Tuberculosis patients receiving treatment at the National Lung Hospital. Photo: Le Nga

Tuberculosis, often considered a "silent killer," typically progresses insidiously and is detected late. From the onset of the disease to death, it has already spread to many others. Therefore, early detection and proactive contact tracing not only save lives but also rapidly reduce the spread of the disease in the community and the overall tuberculosis epidemic. Furthermore, the disease is completely curable when treatment regimens and durations are followed correctly.

The WHO continues to assess tuberculosis as a serious global health problem, with an estimated 10.6 million cases and 1.6 million deaths in 2022. Vietnam remains ranked 11th among the 30 countries with the highest burden of tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Currently, tuberculosis prevention and control activities are gradually returning to normal. The proactive screening and detection campaign, reaching down to the commune and ward level with 1.2 million participants in 2022, detected 19,000 cases, an increase of nearly 31% compared to 2021.

Patients with tuberculosis symptoms or those at high risk of tuberculosis infection have sputum samples taken at the commune health station and sent to the district health center for tuberculosis testing using GeneXpert – a method capable of detecting tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Detected tuberculosis cases are treated at the district health center; patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis are transferred to the Lung Hospital.

Le Nga

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