Kampala, 8 September 2016 — Tuberculosis (TB) prevalence in Uganda has increased from the estimated 159 per 100,000 last year to the current 258 people, according a joint survey carried out by the Ministry of Health, Global Fund and the World Health Organisation.
The national TB prevalence survey has also revealed that 41,000 TB patients are not detected annually, encumbering government efforts in the fight against the disease. The survey also puts the prevalence of TB in children at 36 cases per 100,000.
When contacted yesterday, Dr Frank Mugabe, the programme manager of the the National TB and Leprosy Programme (NTLP), said "the figures are high because the country has been using wrong estimates yet the population has also increased."
"The survey, the first of its kind in Uganda, is a representative of the whole population," Dr Mugabe said, adding that it was conducted between 2013 and 2015.
The survey, according to Dr Mugabe, will enable NTLP to gain a better understanding of the TB burden so as to identify ways of improving TB control in the country.
The number of HIV/AIDS patients with tuberculosis was at 27 per cent.
The Ministry of Health is expected to release a full survey report mid-next month to enable government to design and implement a strong strategic plan to tackle TB.
Source: allAfrica.com