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Tuberculosis on the decline in Haiti

By Cossy Rousevelt

Tuberculosis is on the decline in Haiti.

According to data from the Ministry of Health and Population since 2002, the disease has been trending downwards at a rate of 3.3 per cent per year. The data showed that tuberculosis cases dropped from 180 per 100,000 persons in 2002 to 132 per 100,000 in 2005. The decline is as a result of efforts made by the Haitian Ministry of Health through funds from the Global Fund and other organizations committed to the fight against the disease in Haiti , Dr. Richard Demezar of the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) told journalists recently.

Besides the US$14,6 million allocated to Haiti by the Global Fund, the country also benefits from financial support from USAID and especially from the TB Coalition for Technical Assistance. These combined funds made it possible for the country to increase the detection rate. This resulted in an increase in the number of new cases diagnosed from 10,291 to 14,579, according to the MSPP.

The Ministry of Public Health hopes to be able to detect at least 70 per cent of all tuberculosis cases and to provide treatment to 85 per cent of all persons infected by 2009. The country also hopes to eradicate tuberculosis before 2050. For these objectives to be met government will strengthen strategies already in place, Dr.Myrta Louissaint said.

Among strategies developed to date, Dr Louissaint placed emphasis on the partnership among the National Programme for the fight against Tuberculosis (PNLT), the MSPP and the international organizations involved in the fight against tuberculosis and assuming early responsibility for the TB/HIV co-infection and integration.

But to further improve the results, Dr. Willy Morose of SOGEBANK Foundation noted that prevention campaigns should be carried on and strengthened. He insisted on the need for the population to take into account the main transmission factors. Dr. Morose explained that the high rate of infection relates primarily to the length of time people are being exposed to the Koch Bacillus and to the poor health conditions of the sick individual. SOGEBANK is the banking institution managing the funds allocated to Haiti by the Global Fund to fight Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria.

According to reliable information, 14,000 cases of tuberculosis were recorded in 2004 and 29 per cent of those patients were already infected by HIV/AIDS. In 2005, some 45 per cent of TB persons tested were HIV+, which explains why tuberculosis is very often related to AIDS.

Haiti is classified 47th out of 211 countries around the world having a high prevalence of TB, with 11,657 new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis per year. Of this number, 45 per cent are recorded in the capital city Port-au-Prince.

On World Tuberculosis Day March 24, the Ministry of Health attempted to give another dimension to the fight against this contagious disease. The day was commemorated under the theme « An nou tout met men pou-n derasinen tibèkiloz », which means « Let us all put our efforts together to eradicate tuberculosis ».

During a press briefing at the MSPP in Port-au-Prince , on March 15, 2006 , officials in charge of the tuberculosis programme committed themselves to act to consolidate TB/HIV integration. They also promised to intensify efforts aiming at diagnosing and treating HIV/AIDS cases as well as improving the care of children infected. Government will make available all anti-tuberculosis medicines in paediatric form.