"Yes! We can fight tuberculosis," is the slogan for World Tuberculosis Day, which falls on March 24. The most important action in the fight against tuberculosis is rapid detection and effective treatment of the disease, recalls Professor Maria Korzeniewska-Koseła of the Department of Epidemiology and Organization of the Fight against Tuberculosis at the Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases.
Today is World Tuberculosis Day
Published March 24, 2023 09:49
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex mycobacteria. Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death caused by a single infectious agent worldwide. The most common form of tuberculosis is pulmonary tuberculosis, but the disease can also develop in other organs of the body.
In Poland, more than 3.7 thousand cases of tuberculosis were registered in 2021. This is more than 300 more TB cases than in the previous year and almost 3.9 thousand fewer cases compared to 2012. It is known that in 2022 the number of registered TB cases and incidence increased compared to 2021, which probably indicates that the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the detection and reporting of new cases is receding. In contrast, according to the WHO, 10.6 million people worldwide will have contracted tuberculosis in 2021. There is speculation that in 3 million people TB was undiagnosed and untreated.
The most important action in the fight against tuberculosis is rapid detection and effective treatment of the disease. Most people with tuberculosis caused by drug-sensitive mycobacteria achieve treatment success. At the same time, there have been great advances in TB diagnostic methods and therapy. Molecular testing, which is constantly being improved, makes it possible to quickly detect mycobacteria and check whether the microorganisms are sensitive to drugs. New antimycobacterial drugs have been introduced, making it possible to reduce the treatment time for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis threefold, from 18 to six months. The effectiveness of treatment of this dangerous form of the disease is also improving. The use of artificial intelligence makes it possible to read radiological examinations of the lungs and identify lesions that may be the result of tuberculosis. It also allows rapid screening of people at risk for the disease.
New TB vaccines have been under investigation for years. The introduction of a vaccine more effective than the BCG vaccine will improve the epidemiological situation of tuberculosis.
