Madagascar: CONTAGIOUS DISEASE – Forty-five thousand tuberculous detected in 2023

Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem, but it is possible to end this disease.

Alarming numbers. Forty-five thousand TB patients were recorded by the Ministry of Public Health in 2023, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), yesterday, as part of the celebration of World Tuberculosis Day. These cases are on the rise compared to previous years, where nearly forty-one thousand one hundred cases were detected in 2022 and thirty-seven thousand cases in 2019. But this would still be just the tip of the iceberg. “Undiagnosed cases are still roaming in society, remaining disease transmitters,” warns the WHO. Dr. Harolalaina Rakotondrazanany, coordinator of the National Tuberculosis Control Program, stated in a health program broadcasted by a private channel last week that an untreated TB patient can transmit the disease to twelve people. “And imagine if there are two people with the disease in just one household,” she said.

Chest pain, weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, night sweats, prolonged cough are symptoms that should alert us. When they appear, it is necessary to go to a Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment Center (CDT).

“End”

There are two hundred seventy CDTs in all of Madagascar, and the care, from diagnosis to treatment, is free. “I underwent a nine-month treatment. Everything was free, whether it was the analysis or the medications. I even received nutritional support during my treatments. Now, I feel good. I am no longer tired like before. I don’t cough anymore. But I remain vigilant. I have a balanced diet, consuming fruits, vegetables, and dairy products every day. I try not to overexert myself,” testifies Tsimba, a thirty-year-old who suffered from drug-resistant tuberculosis. His testimony shows that tuberculosis can be well treated and cured. “It is possible when treatments are not interrupted. And we manage to break the transmission chain when an infected person strictly follows the treatments,” explains Dr. Harolalaina Rakotondrazanany.

WHO also wants to convey a message of hope on this World Tuberculosis Day 2024: “Yes! We can end tuberculosis!”. According to WHO, it is possible to get back on track and reduce the tuberculosis epidemic by mobilizing high-level officials, increasing investments, and promoting faster adherence to WHO’s new recommendations.

Miangaly Ralitera