Alarm over rising cost from new TB cases
By, Arthit Khwankhom, The Nation, January 12, 2007
About 90,000 cases a year, with 12,000 deaths; WHO rates Thai treatment poorly.
Tuberculosis (TB) has become an alarming health threat to the country, with the number of new cases continuing to rise and the government's treatment programme unable to cope.
Dr Somchai Pinyopornpaitch, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said incidences of the disease had risen for several years regardless of how hard health officials had worked.
A higher number of new TB cases has been reported each year, while the results of the TB treatment programme remained well below the target and world standards, Somchai said.
New cases of TB now stand at about 50 per 100,000 people, or about 90,000 cases a year, and the rate of successful treatment is still far below the World Health Organisation's standard of 85 per cent.
Each year at least 12,000 people die of TB. As a result, Thailand is grouped in with the 22 "high-burden countries", Somchai said. He said it was highly worrying that Thailand was ranked alongside such impoverished countries as Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Cambodia, which had much lower hygiene standards.
"This shows there must be some reason why we are being held back from beating this disease," Somchai said, adding that he believed the official figures were just "the tip of the iceberg".
HIV infection, a higher rate of population movement caused by economic growth and a growing intake of migrant workers are blamed for the spread of TB.
As treatment takes about six months to complete, many patients find they must move to other areas for work and lose touch with their medical caregivers, leaving their treatment unfinished, Somchai said.
TB expert Dr Daranee Viryakijja said 15 per cent of new TB cases involved HIV infections. It is well known that TB speeds up the onset of Aids and results in a higher mortality rate.
Active screening for new cases and expanding the treatment network to follow up on patients to ensure they finish their medical courses are key to fighting the disease.
Meanwhile, Thammasat University research indicates that global warming is contributing to an unseasonal rise in cholera outbreaks. A half a degree rise in temperature appeared to be causing cholera outbreaks throughout the year.
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/12/national/national_30023929.php
About 90,000 cases a year, with 12,000 deaths; WHO rates Thai treatment poorly.
Tuberculosis (TB) has become an alarming health threat to the country, with the number of new cases continuing to rise and the government's treatment programme unable to cope.
Dr Somchai Pinyopornpaitch, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said incidences of the disease had risen for several years regardless of how hard health officials had worked.
A higher number of new TB cases has been reported each year, while the results of the TB treatment programme remained well below the target and world standards, Somchai said.
New cases of TB now stand at about 50 per 100,000 people, or about 90,000 cases a year, and the rate of successful treatment is still far below the World Health Organisation's standard of 85 per cent.
Each year at least 12,000 people die of TB. As a result, Thailand is grouped in with the 22 "high-burden countries", Somchai said. He said it was highly worrying that Thailand was ranked alongside such impoverished countries as Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Cambodia, which had much lower hygiene standards.
"This shows there must be some reason why we are being held back from beating this disease," Somchai said, adding that he believed the official figures were just "the tip of the iceberg".
HIV infection, a higher rate of population movement caused by economic growth and a growing intake of migrant workers are blamed for the spread of TB.
As treatment takes about six months to complete, many patients find they must move to other areas for work and lose touch with their medical caregivers, leaving their treatment unfinished, Somchai said.
TB expert Dr Daranee Viryakijja said 15 per cent of new TB cases involved HIV infections. It is well known that TB speeds up the onset of Aids and results in a higher mortality rate.
Active screening for new cases and expanding the treatment network to follow up on patients to ensure they finish their medical courses are key to fighting the disease.
Meanwhile, Thammasat University research indicates that global warming is contributing to an unseasonal rise in cholera outbreaks. A half a degree rise in temperature appeared to be causing cholera outbreaks throughout the year.
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/12/national/national_30023929.php
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