Death from tuberculosis rises and leaves more than 5,000 victims – 03/24/2023 – Health

The Ministry of Health recorded an 11% increase in deaths from tuberculosis in the country. There were 5,072 deaths in 2021 against 4,569 in the previous year. The number represents 14 deaths per day, on average.

Tuberculosis remains among the most deadly infectious diseases in the world, second only to Covid. Transmission takes place via the respiratory route, through the elimination of aerosols produced by the cough, speech or sneeze of a person with the active disease.

According to data from the folder, the mortality rate had been reducing, even if slowly, for approximately two decades. The disease is the leading cause of death among people with HIV and AIDS.

Homeless people, prisoners, people living with HIV, immigrants and indigenous communities are the hardest hit in Brazil by tuberculosis.

The cases also grew and there was an increase of 5%. There were 78,057 new cases in 2022 against 74,385 in the same period of the previous year.

The incidence of the disease (new cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year) was 36.3 in 2022. The states with the highest risk of illness were Roraima and Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil is part of the priority countries for fighting the disease, listed by the WHO (World Health Organization) and is among the 30 countries in the world with the highest rate of transmission of the disease.

The scenario of tuberculosis in Brazil was aggravated by the pandemic, which caused a reduction in notifications. Early diagnosis is essential to start treatment at the right time and increase the chances of cure.

The Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, said that the main challenge is the elimination of tuberculosis by 2030. Brazil will sign, together with India, Indonesia and the coalition of leaders, the commitment to have tuberculosis as an agenda of the G20.

The Ministry of Health also intends to work together with six other ministries to respond to the increase in cases and deaths quickly.

“The main challenge is the elimination of tuberculosis as a public health problem by 2030. It is a fundamental commitment in a country like ours, we consider it unacceptable that people lose their lives with diseases that have prevention, treatment and cure”, he said.

One of the main forms of protection against severe cases of tuberculosis is the BCG vaccine, recommended by the National Vaccination Calendar shortly after birth. In recent years, there has been a reduction in vaccination coverage. As of 2019, coverage did not exceed 88%.

Tuberculosis has once again spread worldwide, due to Covid and its confinements, which have limited testing and access to care, according to the WHO.

According to the organization’s annual report, 10.6 million people had, in 2021, this disease caused by a bacteria that attacks mainly the lungs. This represents an increase of 4.5% in one year. It is estimated that 1.6 million people died of the disease last year.

The incidence rate of the disease increased by 3.6% between 2020 and 2021, after having declined by about 2% per year for much of the last two decades.