Spotlight on TB

When Polly was first diagnosed with TB I completed one of my uni assignments on a comparison between Australia and Bangladesh TB rates. Here's some interesting info for you.

• 2 billion people worldwide are infected with TB – one third of the world.
• 9 million people worldwide are diagnosed with active TB every year.
• 2 million people worldwide die every year from TB related deaths, or 5000 everyday.
• Over 90% of cases are reported in the developing world.
• Bangladesh has the 6^th highest prevalence rate, approx 600,000 cases, popn = 140 million. Prevalence rate = 435/100,000. Not all cases are detected and reported.
• Australia’s rate is 100 times lower. Approx 1,000 cases, popn= 22 million which is roughly 5.8/100,000.
• Certain subgroups of Australians carry the burden of this disease, mainly those born overseas and indigenous Australians.
• Certain subgroups of Bangladeshis carry the burden: those living in extreme poverty with poor housing conditions and malnutrition.
• Death or mortality rate of Bangladesh: 51/100,000 per year. Australia = 0.6/100,000 per year.
• As this is an airborne infectious disease it is prevented by reducing active cases of TB which in turn reduce/stop the transmission of the disease. Education and screening programs are extremely important.
• Drugs that treat TB urgently need to be updated, especially for the treatment of multidrug resitant strains. The drugs haven’t changed much since the 1960’s. Treatment lasts for 6 months. 6 horse like tablets everyday, without fail. Lack of money into research has been blamed on the fact that the majority of the world that is dying and suffering from TB is the developing world, and they wouldn’t be able to afford the new more expensive drugs. Maybe this will change with the increase in HIV/TB related deaths although again HIV seems to be disproportionately be effecting the developing world.