‘TB prevalence declining, but...’

The prevalence of tuberculosis in the Western Pacific is declining annually by three percent, although this is not enough to meet the global target to cut tuberculosis, or TB, cases by half by 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday.

In the Philippines, around 75 people die of TB everyday. The country ranks ninth among the 22 nations heavily burdened with TB.

Speaking during the WHO’s regional committee meeting, Dr. Richard Nesbitt, acting WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, said the annual decrease in the prevalence rate of TB must reach eight percent if the region is to achieve the target four years from now.

"Tremendous momentum has been generated, but the job is not finished," he said.

"However, I am confident that we will be able to sustain the momentum and commitment to overcome the obstacles towards the 2010 goal."

To meet the target, there must be an increase in case detection beyond the present 70 percent, and that multi-drug resistant TB must be controlled, he added.

It is estimated that from 2000 to 2004, there was an overall decline of 15 percent in prevalence and 12 percent in TB mortality.

The WHO has recommended that efforts to combat the co-infection between TB and HIV virus be intensified, and that anti-TB services be made accessible to all patients.

To arrest the spread of TB, countries with high incidence of the disease would need to take bolder action like strengthening of efforts and increased funding, the WHO added.

The anti-TB campaigns in the region are embodied in the Regional Strategic Plan to Stop TB 2006-2010.

As an intermediate step, three regional targets were set for 2005: a regional population coverage of directly observed treatment, short course (DOTS), detecting 70 percent of TB cases, and successfully treating 85 percent of cases.

DOTS is the treatment strategy recommended by WHO to control the spread of TB.