THE prevalence of Tuberculosis (TB) remains high in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), with 257 new cases recorded during the period January to October, 2015. In fact, Region Four accounts for more than 50% of the 439 new cases of Tuberculosis recorded as at the end of October, 2015. This is according to the National TB Register.

TB is an infectious disease which is caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis, and can be detected if persons are plagued with a bad cough that has lasted in excess of three weeks; if that person is coughing blood; is experiencing pain in the chest; is having a persistent fever, or is experiencing persistent fatigue and night sweats.

The disease remains extremely low in Regions Five, Eight and Nine, with a total of 18 new cases recorded in those regions. Region Nine, however, has recorded the lowest incidence – two; and Region Five the highest – 10.
In Regions One, Two, Three, Six, Seven and 10, new cases ranged between 15 and 37, with Region Seven recording the lowest and Region Three the highest.

The co-infection rate as it relates to the number of persons in Guyana infected with both Tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) remains a major concern, Public Health Minister Dr. George Norton told Guyana Chronicle yesterday.

Between the period January 2015 and October 2015, new cases amounting to 363 were tested for HIV. However, only 89 were returned positive. Despite that, the co-infection rate appears to have declined when compared with 2014 (109). Minister Norton maintains that the rate among key populations remains high, contending that many of the cases, though recorded at health centres across the country, are not being handed down to the central body.

According to Minister Norton, Guyana must effectively counter HIV in order to significantly reduce the number of new TB cases. As such, he said, the UNAIDS 2016-2021 Strategy comes at a critical time.

With a universal agenda firmly grounded in evidence and rights-based approaches, the strategy maps out the UNAIDS Fast-Track approach to accelerate the AIDS response over the next five years, to reach critical HIV prevention and treatment targets in addition to achieving zero discrimination.

The National Tuberculosis Programme and the Guyana Chest Society continue to work closely with the National AIDS Programme Secretariat to curb the number of tuberculosis cases, except in particular persons who are co-infected.

In addition to the co-infected cases, Minister Norton said failure to adhere to the treatment regime remains a major problem for the Health Ministry and its supporting arms. It was explained that many persons infected with Tuberculosis and HIV continue to be defaulters by failing to take their prescribed medication.

“We have been doing so well in the prisons, but when these infected prisoners leave (the prisons), they do not follow up with their treatment plan. We have the same problem with migrant workers and persons operating in the interior,” the Health Minister explained.

Among the programmes introduced in the country to reduce and prevent tuberculosis is the D.O.T.S (Directly Observed Treatment Short-course) initiative. The D.O.T.S programme is designed to tackle the disease from the initial stage, which is infection. If a patient is diagnosed with the TB disease, he/she will be attached to a D.O.T.S worker, who has the core responsibility of visiting the patient’s home, school, or work place to observe the patient take each dose of their medication. This process allows patients to be cured within six to nine months.

Some D.O.T patients even absent themselves from their homes, schools or places of work on their appointed date with D.O.T.S workers.