World Tuberculosis Day 2020
Belmopan. March 24, 2020. World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed every year on March 24th as a means of increasing public awareness of the disease. The theme for this year is “It’s time to end TB!”
In 2018, an estimated 10 million people fell ill with TB worldwide – 5.7 million men, 3.2 million women, and 1.1 million children. TB remains a public health concern and is still responsible for 1.5 million global deaths every year.
For the Belize context, in 2019 a total of 91 new cases of TB were diagnosed, 30 females and 61 males, 16 having a co-infection with HIV. The age groups most affected were between the ages of 20-59 years, following the same trend as seen in previous years. There were 15 deaths in 2019 which represents a 16.5% mortality rate.
Tuberculosis is a curable and preventable disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (which generally affects the lungs). When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. TB is transmitted from the infected person to another weak person through the droplets formed in the throat or lungs.
In the current scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals with TB and HIV are also at risk of being infected and may have respiratory complications that are more severe than others not infected.
The National TB Program of the Ministry of Health advises all persons who have TB and HIV to ensure that they are fully adherent to their medications as they may be at higher risk for COVID-19 complications. The Ministry hereby advises to continuing to exercise all preventive measures for the containment of COVID-19.
This year, there will be no public activities in relation to World TB Day due to the national response to COVID-19.
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