Increasing tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis

The number of tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis patients in Binh Thuan is increasing. The cost of tuberculosis treatment exceeds the annual income of the whole family, a problem that affects the economy and life of the patient's family as well as society.

Risk of outbreak

The 2022 report of the World Health Organization (WHO) assessed: Vietnam is still a country with a high burden of tuberculosis with 169,000 people with tuberculosis and 12,000 people dying from tuberculosis in 2021. It ranks 11th among the 30 countries with the highest number of tuberculosis patients globally, and also ranks 11th among the 30 countries with the highest burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the world.

Doctors at Binh Thuan Provincial Lung Hospital examine drug-resistant tuberculosis patients.

In Binh Thuan, the total number of tuberculosis patients detected in 2022 was 1,819, of which 10 were children with tuberculosis, accounting for 0.55% of the total number of tuberculosis patients. Of these, 1,178 people with pulmonary tuberculosis with bacteriological evidence, there were 1,034 new patients, 129 relapsed and 15 re-treated; 459 people with pulmonary tuberculosis without bacteriological evidence and 182 people with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. In general, the number of pulmonary tuberculosis patients with newly detected, relapsed and re-treated bacterial evidence increased by 43 - 67.5% over the same period. In particular, there were 46 drug-resistant tuberculosis patients, an increase of 8 patients over the same period in 2021, equivalent to an increase of 21.05%.

The reason for the increase in the number of TB patients in 2022 is the Covid-19 epidemic in 2021, which disrupted TB prevention and control activities. In addition, drug-resistant TB patients did not go for monthly check-ups and TB patients had many other diseases at the same time. Patients suspected of having TB also did not go for check-ups to detect TB.

Experts say that: The situation of tuberculosis prevention and control faces many challenges after the Covid-19 pandemic, worrying about the risk of tuberculosis outbreaks in the community. Most people with tuberculosis are of working age and the cost of diagnosis and treatment for tuberculosis patients exceeds the annual income of the whole family. The cost of tuberculosis treatment is an issue that affects the economy and life of families with people with this disease as well as society.

Over 86% treatment success

Doctors say: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by tuberculosis bacteria, mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract. People are infected by inhaling tuberculosis bacteria from pulmonary tuberculosis patients that are released into the surrounding environment when coughing, spitting, sneezing, or through long-term contact. Symptoms of prolonged cough include dry cough, cough with phlegm or coughing up blood; thin person, poor appetite, low fever in the afternoon, chest pain and difficulty breathing... Patients should immediately go to the nearest medical facility or specialized hospital for early diagnosis and timely treatment according to the correct treatment regimen, for the prescribed time, and take medication regularly.

Although there are still difficulties in TB prevention and control activities, this program has received attention from all levels of government from the province to the grassroots level. Thanks to that, the rate of successful treatment of pulmonary TB patients with new and recurrent bacteriological evidence reached 86.85%. The rate of successful treatment of all forms of TB reached 87.58%, meeting the target of the national TB control program.

Accordingly, the TB prevention plan of Binh Thuan Lung Hospital is to continue to maintain and ensure the quality of testing, detection, and treatment management activities. Promote the TB prevention program by screening and actively detecting TB patients in hard-to-reach areas with high TB epidemics, among vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, prisoners, people taking Methadone, people with HIV, diabetic patients, etc. At the same time, strengthen screening, screening, and detection of patients with multidrug-resistant TB, pediatric TB, etc.

Vietnam wins against tuberculosis
That is the theme of Vietnam's response to World Tuberculosis Day (March 24, 2023), bringing the belief that ending tuberculosis is completely possible. And demonstrating the high determination of all classes of people in the fight against tuberculosis.
According to the Central Lung Hospital, this is an important annual activity aimed at political commitment at all levels and supporting patients to overcome tuberculosis. At the same time, it promotes and raises awareness of people and the community about tuberculosis. 2023 is a very important year, "a year of hope" to receive global support and gather strength in the process of eliminating tuberculosis.

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