april, 2020 | The healTh
| Issue |
Eradicating tuberculosis by 2035
in the run to achieve
zero TB cases,
Malaysians must go for
screening tests for early
detection
Tuberculosis (MAPTB) had done a great job
in preventing and treating TB in Malaysia.
“The government has placed funds for
hospitals to carry out treatment for TB.
On top of that, the MAPTB fought for our
TB patients to get allowances because TB
treatment is costly and most of our patients
are poor,” said Dr Wong.
The World TB Day campaign every
year was also one of the government’s eff ort
in bringing awareness to Malaysians.
He stressed: “The problem only arises
when the high-risk group of people refuse
to turn up for the early screening session.”
The Tuberculosis Control Programme
has been in place since 1961 as a vertical
programme where PusatTibi Negara is the
primary referral centre for TB. This year,
World TB Day is still wearing the suit of ‘It’s
Time To End TB’.
This National Strategic Plan (NSP)
for TB Control (2016-2020) is in line with
the Regional Framework for Action on
Implementation of the End TB Strategy in
the Western Pacifi c (2016–2020). The NSP
shall be the national guiding principles in
control of TB towards placing Malaysia as a
zero number of TB cases by 2035.
The goal line of TB control in Malaysia
is to decrease a load of tuberculosis by
BY CAMILIA REZALI
T
HE early screening of
Tuberculosis (TB) among
Malaysians can assist the
government’s target of
eliminating the disease by 2035.
Dr Wong Chee Kuan, a
Consultant Chest Physician at
Universiti Malaya Specialist
Centre (UMSC), said the main contribution
to a large number of TB deaths was a lack of
awareness and delays in screening.
“Malaysia has not even reached the
maximum detection rate. Therefore, people
who are infected could still be wandering
around without notice”, said Dr Wong.
A TB-infected person can be without any
visible signs. That is how dangerous it is.
According to Dr Wong, Malaysia is in the
intermediate TB incidence rate. Malaysians
contribute a high 85 per cent of the TB
cases. TB has been increasing for the past
10 years in Malaysia. According to World
Health Organization (WHO) statistics, the
TB occurrence rate in Malaysia has now
risen to 92 per 100,000 population.
TB is the number one killer among
infectious diseases. What most people
do not know is that TB happens to be a
growing disease. Up to 2,000 lives a year are
lost to this disease. People who are prone
to infection are those with a low level of
immunity such as the elderly, smokers,
cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy,
liver and kidney patients as well as HIV
patients. It is also possible for a person
cured of TB to be infected again.
Dr Wong said the government and the
Malaysian Association for the Prevention of
Target indicators 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Reduction of 25% in the number
of TB deaths compared with 2015
(reduced 5% per year)* 1692 1600 1520 1445 1375 1310
79 85 90 95 100 100
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Increase in the incidence rate of TB
to 100 per 100,000 population
compared with 79 per 100,000
population in 2015 (per 100,000
population)*
TB-aff ected families facing
catastrophic costs due to TB
Malaysia has not
even reached
the maximum
detection rate.
Therefore, people
who are infected
could still be
wandering around
without notice."
— Dr Wong Chee Kuan
ensuring universal access to timely and
quality diagnosis and treatment of all
forms of TB and prevent the development
of drug resistance to TB in the country.
By 2020, TB control aims to reduce the TB
mortality rate by 25 per cent, to increase
the notifi cation rate to 100 per 100,000
population and also have full access to
diagnosis and treatment of all forms of TB,
including MDR-TB and XDR-TB.
The NSP intends to put an end to TB in
the next fi ve years. The table shows the
target indicators for this year.
To achieve these numbers, it requires
mutual collaboration, not only in
delivering suitable TB services but also
tracking universal access to health care and
social protection while rapidly improving
nutrition and economic conditions. To this
eff ect, the dismissal of catastrophic costs
that TB-aff ected families face is also an
essential target under The End TB Strategy.
The NSP is committed to putting a stop
to TB cases in Malaysia. Its strategic pillar
starts with integrating patient-centred
care and prevention. Secondly, to establish
bold policies and supportive systems and
thirdly, to intensify the number of research
and innovations on TB. — The Health
27