TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan records an average of 6,000 new tuberculosis (TB) cases every year and needs to be more vigilant, the health authorities said on Friday (March 24) as World TB Day is observed.
In the spirit of "Yes! We can end TB!" the theme of the World Health Organization’s campaign this year to stem the spread of the bacterial illness, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) made a case for early intervention. About 400 out of 6,000 cases reported annually die of the disease, wrote CNA.
Years of prevention efforts have seen the incidence rate of TB in Taiwan drop from 73 cases per 100,000 in 2005, to 28 per 100,000 in 2022, down 62%, said the CDC.
Wang Jann-yuan (王振源), head of the Taiwan Society of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, said around 5-10% of latent infections progress to the development of symptoms. Good ventilation, a healthy lifestyle, and cough etiquette are advised to keep the pathogen away.
Those who have experienced chest pain, fever, loss of appetite, and coughing for two weeks or longer should seek medical help. An infected individual has to take medications for six to nine months to ensure the TB bacteria are killed.
According to WHO, global efforts to end TB have saved 74 million lives since 2000. In 2021, 10.6 million people fell ill with TB and 1.6 million died of it.
