Tuberculosis (TB) is considered a serious public health challenge and last year some 629 persons joined the local treatment programme. The incidence rate is currently 83 per 100,000 and statistics show that about 60 persons died each year from TB, but many were also HIV positive.
Ramsammy, in a message to mark World TB Day on Sunday, underscored the challenges of co-infection in the health sector saying they are working to lower the rate of TB patients living with HIV to around 12 percent because as of 2009, some 23 percent of TB patients were listed as HIV positive. “Because these two diseases combined to be a serious killer, we need to ensure we protect persons living with HIV from TB and also protect persons infected with TB from HIV”, Ramsammy said.
Ramsammy said the goal this year is lower the TB incidence rate to below 50 per 100,000 by 2015 and to provide greater access to HIV testing among patients. Currently some 89 percent of all TB patients are tested for HIV. He said too that the focus is on extending coverage of the Direct Observation Therapy (DOT) programme where specially trained health workers and community volunteers assist by taking medicines to TB patients and ensuring compliance with the treatment.
Non-compliance with treatment has been a problem, but since its initiation DOT has had a tremendous impact. Ramsammy said DOT coverage is currently around 72 percent, noting that the treatment success rate in the country is lagging behind the global rate at 75 percent. Referring to the DOT programme, Ramsammy said, 100 percent coverage is critical because it is one way to meet the success rate for treatment.
He also mentioned the problem of multiple drug resistance (MDR) saying Guyana is not yet afflicted with many cases of this, but noted the threat is there. He said Guyana needs to develop the capacity to do sophisticated laboratory testing as a measure to fight drug resistance problems. Ramsammy also touched on the issue of exposure to TB saying efforts must be intensified to reduce this. He noted that for each person infected with HIV, about 10 to 15 persons are further exposed to TB, but stressed that not everyone will develop TB.
On the issue of awareness, Ramsammy said, enough is not being done to educate the public. “I have instructed my technical officers to increase the robustness of the education and awareness program in 2010”, he said, and he also called for schools to integrate health messages into the lessons. Further, Ramsammy said the churches, mandirs and mosques must preach about TB as part of their religious responsibilities
