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Uganda: Country Slips in TB Detection
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New Vision (Kampala)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 28 March 2008
Conan Businge
Kampala
UGANDA'S ability to identify and treat new Tuberculosis (TB) cases started declining in 2003, a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
The report, which placed Uganda at 15th position among 22 countries with the highest burden of TB infections, said unlike other countries whose decline in TB notifications started in 2006, Uganda peaked in 2003 and began declining thereafter.
The report notes that whereas there are more people being infected by TB globally, the number of those registered and treated is declining. WHO noted 80,000 new TB infections were reported in Uganda annually.
Uganda, according to the report, does not routinely use the two core methods of detecting TB; checking the spiutum and direct observation.
In 2004 and 2005, Uganda recorded the highest number of new infections among the high burden countries despite the use of the community-based TB care programme, the report said.
According to the study, much as the Government had increased funding this financial year, it was still insufficient to fully tackle the problem.
"Even where funds are allocated, disbursement and absorption are problematic," it added.
Globally, the report noted that between 2001 and 2005, the average rate at which new TB cases were detected was increasing by six per cent per year. But this fell to three per cent between 2005 and 2006.
"The reason for this slowing of progress is that some national programmes that were making rapid strides during the previous five years have been unable to continue at the same pace in 2006."
The report also explained that detection could have reduced because some TB cases were treated by private care providers and non-governmental, faith-based and community organisations, which do not report to health ministries.
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There were 9.2 million new cases of TB in 200 countries worldwide, including 700,000 cases among people living with HIV. An estimated 1.5 million people died from TB in 2006, said the report.
The WHO director-general, Dr. Margaret Chan, said: "To make progress, public programmes must be strengthened and we need to fully tap the potential of other service providers."
The deputy executive director of The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO), Dr. Christine Nabiryo, said there was an increase in the number of TB cases detected by the centre. She attributed this to increased diagnosis and service provision.
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