Vietnam’s number of TB deaths surpasses that of traffic-related fatalities last year
Friday, March 22, 2024, 19:05 GMT+7
Approximately 13,000 people died from tuberculosis (TB) in Vietnam last year, which is higher than the number of traffic-related deaths at 11,628 the same year, according to data from the Vietnam National TB Control Program.
The country detected more than 106,000 TB cases last year, marking an increase of nearly 2,300 cases against the 2022 figure.
Despite the increase, the number of newly detected TB cases every year just accounts for some 60 percent of the estimated count of people living with latent TB infection.
The World Health Organization’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2023 revealed that Vietnam is still on the list of high-TB-burden countries.
Vietnam ranked 16th among the top 30 high-TB-burden countries in 2018, before jumping up to the 11th place in 2023.
It also joined the list of the top 30 high-burden countries for multidrug resistant TB.
The country’s TB prevention and control efforts were challenged during the 2020-21 period as it was battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of newly diagnosed TB patients in 2021 fell 22 percent against 2020 and 24.5 percent versus the pre-pandemic level in 2019, prompting Vietnam to join the list of countries experiencing reduction in TB case notifications.
The Vietnam National TB Control Program is working on many initiatives to early detect people with TB, latent TB infection, and respiratory diseases in the community and at medical facilities, as well as to fulfill its goal of ending TB by 2035.
According to WHO, TB is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs and is caused by a type of bacteria.
It spreads through the air when infected people cough, sneeze or spit. Tuberculosis is preventable and curable.
The common symptoms of TB include prolonged cough (sometimes with blood), chest pain, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever, night sweats, and loss of appetite.
Health experts recommend that babies should be given the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine to prevent TB. People should wear face masks when venturing out or coming into contact with TB patients.
People should seek medical attention if they develop the said symptoms.
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