Lethal TB strain now in Namibia
By, Christof Maletsky, Namibian News, April 2, 2008
Health professionals are quietly treating up to 24 confirmed cases of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) - the worst form of TB with seriously limited treatment options and chances of cure - in Namibian hospitals.
Well-placed health sources have confirmed to The Namibian that the extreme form of TB is currently under control, but expressed fears that the country does not have the capacity to deal with a major outbreak of XDR-TB.
The Namibian had been aware of at least one case being treated at Walvis Bay since December, but health sources said this week that the situation was worse than initially thought.
On Friday, Health Minister Dr Richard Kamwi only expressed fears that Namibia was about to record its first cases of XDR-TB.
TB can usually be treated with a course of four standard, or first-line, anti-TB drugs.
However, if the drugs are misused or mismanaged, multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) develops and later progresses to extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB).
"There are currently 254 cases of multi-drug-resistant TB under treatment throughout the country.
This is a great concern and is a clear indication that it is only a matter of time before we will have extremely drug-resistant cases, known as XDR Tuberculosis, in Namibia," Kamwi said at the World TB Day event staged at Mariental on Friday.
He said experts in the Ministry of Health were busy reviewing all TB cases with drug resistance to verify the extent of the problem.
"Given the large number of cases, we may well find some incurable XDR-TB amongst this group," Kamwi said.
Kamwi confirmed that Namibia was the country with the second highest TB incidence in the world after Swaziland, with 15 244 cases reported last year alone.
The host region of this year's TB Day event, Hardap, had the highest incidence of TB in Namibia last year, reporting a worrying 1 294 cases per 100 000 people, Kamwi said.
The TB situation is exacerbated by the HIV-AIDS epidemic in the country.
"HIV infection is the major known individual risk factor for the development of TB disease.
Last year 8 186 TB patients representing 54 per cent of the total notified patients were tested for HIV and 59 per cent were HIV positive," Kamwi said.
He said the impact of the dual infection of TB with HIV-AIDS was a major cause for concern, in particular as it affected the Namibian workforce.
"We are experiencing a decline in work productivity; this then results in a decrease in household income, which jeopardises health, nutrition, sanitation, safety, education and care in our nation.
The effect of disease burdens on the workforce can essentially stunt the necessary socio-economic growth on our path toward Vision 2030," the Minister warned.
He called on health workers to be proactive, focused, tireless and united in their responses against the two diseases.
"Clearly, if we are to make an impact in the control of TB, and considering the reported MDR-TB and the concern related to the XDR-TB, we need more skilled healthcare workers," Kamwi said, appealing for more donor assistance to scale up the procurement of medicines, strengthening hospital infrastructure and enhancing control in TB wards.
Source: http://www.namibian.com.na/2008/April/national/08F606ADE1.html
Health professionals are quietly treating up to 24 confirmed cases of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) - the worst form of TB with seriously limited treatment options and chances of cure - in Namibian hospitals.
Well-placed health sources have confirmed to The Namibian that the extreme form of TB is currently under control, but expressed fears that the country does not have the capacity to deal with a major outbreak of XDR-TB.
The Namibian had been aware of at least one case being treated at Walvis Bay since December, but health sources said this week that the situation was worse than initially thought.
On Friday, Health Minister Dr Richard Kamwi only expressed fears that Namibia was about to record its first cases of XDR-TB.
TB can usually be treated with a course of four standard, or first-line, anti-TB drugs.
However, if the drugs are misused or mismanaged, multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) develops and later progresses to extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB).
"There are currently 254 cases of multi-drug-resistant TB under treatment throughout the country.
This is a great concern and is a clear indication that it is only a matter of time before we will have extremely drug-resistant cases, known as XDR Tuberculosis, in Namibia," Kamwi said at the World TB Day event staged at Mariental on Friday.
He said experts in the Ministry of Health were busy reviewing all TB cases with drug resistance to verify the extent of the problem.
"Given the large number of cases, we may well find some incurable XDR-TB amongst this group," Kamwi said.
Kamwi confirmed that Namibia was the country with the second highest TB incidence in the world after Swaziland, with 15 244 cases reported last year alone.
The host region of this year's TB Day event, Hardap, had the highest incidence of TB in Namibia last year, reporting a worrying 1 294 cases per 100 000 people, Kamwi said.
The TB situation is exacerbated by the HIV-AIDS epidemic in the country.
"HIV infection is the major known individual risk factor for the development of TB disease.
Last year 8 186 TB patients representing 54 per cent of the total notified patients were tested for HIV and 59 per cent were HIV positive," Kamwi said.
He said the impact of the dual infection of TB with HIV-AIDS was a major cause for concern, in particular as it affected the Namibian workforce.
"We are experiencing a decline in work productivity; this then results in a decrease in household income, which jeopardises health, nutrition, sanitation, safety, education and care in our nation.
The effect of disease burdens on the workforce can essentially stunt the necessary socio-economic growth on our path toward Vision 2030," the Minister warned.
He called on health workers to be proactive, focused, tireless and united in their responses against the two diseases.
"Clearly, if we are to make an impact in the control of TB, and considering the reported MDR-TB and the concern related to the XDR-TB, we need more skilled healthcare workers," Kamwi said, appealing for more donor assistance to scale up the procurement of medicines, strengthening hospital infrastructure and enhancing control in TB wards.
Source: http://www.namibian.com.na/2008/April/national/08F606ADE1.html
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