148 TB cases reported in Maldives last year: HPA

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has reported that 148 cases of tuberculosis (TB) were recorded in the Maldives last year.

The announcement was made in a statement marking World TB Day, which highlights the global effort to eliminate the disease.

According to HPA, an estimated 10.8 million people worldwide were infected with TB in 2023, including six million men, 3.6 million women, and 1.3 million children.

The disease claimed the lives of 1.2 million people during the same period.

The theme for this year’s World TB Day is "We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver.”

TB is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks.

While some people carry a latent TB infection without symptoms, in others, the bacteria become active and cause symptoms such as persistent coughing, fever, weight loss, and fatigue.

TB is a curable disease, and most cases can be successfully treated with a six-month course of antibiotics.

However, incomplete treatment increases the risk of drug-resistant TB. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS) strategy, which has been implemented in the Maldives since 1994 to ensure effective diagnosis and treatment.

In 2014, WHO adopted the "End TB" strategy to reduce TB globally. The Maldives has since been working toward minimizing TB as a public health risk, with 100 islands reportedly free of the disease.

People at higher risk of contracting TB include those with weakened immune systems due to conditions like diabetes, cancer, or HIV/AIDS, children under five who have not received the BCG vaccine, smokers, and the elderly.

Preventive measures include getting tested and treated early, covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, ensuring proper ventilation in homes with infected individuals, and avoiding spitting in public spaces.