Latent TB infection remains a public health threat in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is considered a high-risk country burdened by tuberculosis (TB). While the National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP) has achieved significant milestones, such as a treatment success rate of around 95 percent and a case detection rate of over 80 percent, tuberculosis remains a serious public health problem in Bangladesh.

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a state where individuals exhibit a persistent immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens without showing active clinical symptoms of TB. The detection and management of LTBI is now a key component of the World Health Organization’s End TB Strategy and the Government of Canada’s federal framework for action on TB prevention and control.

According to the World Health Organization, TB caused 1.6 million deaths in 2021, including 187,000 people with HIV. It is currently the 13th leading cause of death worldwide. Additionally, an estimated 10.6 million individuals fell ill with TB in the same year, including six million men, 3.4 million women, and 1.2 million children. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) continues to be a public health crisis and a threat to global health security. Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is a crucial target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It is important to note that individuals with latent TB infection are not contagious and do not experience symptoms of the disease. But individuals with LTBI represent a reservoir for active TB cases. TB disease is usually treated with anti-TB drugs, which without treatment can be fatal. Dr Shayla Islam, Associate Director of the Communicable Disease Programme at Brac, explains that only a small proportion of people infected with TB will develop the active disease and exhibit symptoms.

The prevalence of TB patients is particularly high in urban slums, where approximately 50% of individuals are carrying the bacilli of the disease. Last year, the number of confirmed TB cases exceeded three lakhs. To mitigate the risk of the disease, the Government of Bangladesh, in collaboration with Brac, has been providing TB prevention therapy to around one and a half lakh individuals, she added.

Physicians recommended adopting a hygienic and healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of latent TB infection, especially for individuals with other health conditions such as HIV, diabetes, and other comorbidities. Promoting awareness, regular exercise, and facilitating free sample tests at nearby laboratories can also help decrease the prevalence of the disease.

The increasing number of diagnoses and positive results indicate that people are becoming more aware of their health and giving due importance to the disease. By continuing to promote awareness, healthy lifestyles, and early detection, the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection can be effectively addressed in Bangladesh.

Timely diagnosis and treatment could hinder the progress of latent TB infection. The Minister of Health and Family welfare (MoHFW) of Bangladesh with the collaboration with USAID has signed an agreement to detect and treat more than 1.5 million new TB cases over the next five years. The mission of the agreement is identifying, preventing and providing tuberculosis preventive therapy to reduce the latent TB patients.

Source: Daily Observer