New survey finds TB in Bangladesh lesser than WHO estimates

The data, which is still under analysis, also pointed out some areas where the government’s anti-TB programme would need to put more focus.

“We found the rate 295 per 100,000 population but it was 382 in WHO’s estimates,” said Prof Mahmudur Rahman, the principal investigator of the survey conducted by the government disease monitoring arm, IEDCR, with the help of WHO.

Prof Rahman, just retired from the institute as its director, presented the preliminary results at the Union’s 47th world conference on lung health in Liverpool on Wednesday.

The IEDCR started the survey in March last year and completed field work in April this year. About 100,000 people aged 15 and above have been surveyed with many of them did not have visible symptoms for tuberculosis.

“This survey findings can act as baseline for future surveys and monitoring the attainment the national and global target related to SDG,” Prof Rahman said, adding that they planned to release the final results in March next year in Dhaka.

He credited the government’s anti-TB programme, improving socio-economic conditions as well as overall health indicators for the improvement of the tuberculosis situation in Bangladesh.

TB, a bacterial infection, is generally known as poor people’s disease. Crowded living condition and poor hygiene are some of the factors that cause the airborne infection to spread from person to person. It is life-threatening without proper treatment, but can be cured completely with proper treatment.

“It (new results) is striking considering other countries where the similar surveys have been carried out with the WHO’s assistance,” he told bdnews24.com after the presentation.

Indonesia found the rate 660 per 100,000 population which is almost double than the WHO’s estimates.

The Bangladesh survey, however, found the infection more prevalent among the urban population – 334 compared to 274 in rural areas, which apparently validate the long held criticism of the government’s urban health programmes run by the local government authority.

In age-specific results the survey found that among the female the rate shoots up after the age of 55, a new feature where Prof Rahman said would require attention.

The survey also tested TB positive to those who turn up only with a week-long fever, an unusual feature. But Prof Rahman toldbdnews24.com that they would need further analysis before making any final comment on that.
He said the new report pointed out to the fact that the existing TB programme can detect about one third of the TB cases.

“Overall TB detection cases have been plateaued since 2005 in Bangladesh. So we have to look at how to increase the detection rate. No country in the world can detect all of the cases. But our efforts should be to detect as much as possible,” he said.

He said the survey also established the fact that chest X-ray still plays a key role in TB case detection while the new GeneXpert machine found to be the “most effective” as a diagnostic tool.

Persistent cough of over two weeks, weight loss, and night sweats are some of the symptoms when doctors suggest TB test.

The four-day annual conference in Liverpool is themed on “confronting resistance: fundamentals to innovations”.

Source: Bangladesh News 24 hours