TB prevalence drops in Bangladesh
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
The prevalence of infectious pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) has come down in the country, finds a nationwide survey conduced in 20 years, thanks to scaling up of directly observed DOTS therapy, high case detection and cures rates as well as improved socio-economic status of population, reports BSS.
"The overall prevalence of smear-positive TB was 79.4 per 100,000 adults, which was significantly lower than that of previous survey results or the current estimates," reads the summary of the survey, which is scheduled to be made public formally in a city hotel on Wednesday.
The last nationwide survey was conducted in 1987-88, when the TB burden among adults aged over 15 years was 910 per 100,000 population. There were also some other regional surveys done in 1995, 2001 and 2002, where ICDDR,B in its survey found the prevalence rate 95 per 100,000 eight years ago.
"This wide variation might be due to the design of the study, sampling strategy and sampling adequacy including the quality of data collection," said an epidemiologist who obtained a copy of the study before its today's formal dissemination.
"The overall prevalence of smear-positive TB was 79.4 per 100,000 adults, which was significantly lower than that of previous survey results or the current estimates," reads the summary of the survey, which is scheduled to be made public formally in a city hotel on Wednesday.
The last nationwide survey was conducted in 1987-88, when the TB burden among adults aged over 15 years was 910 per 100,000 population. There were also some other regional surveys done in 1995, 2001 and 2002, where ICDDR,B in its survey found the prevalence rate 95 per 100,000 eight years ago.
"This wide variation might be due to the design of the study, sampling strategy and sampling adequacy including the quality of data collection," said an epidemiologist who obtained a copy of the study before its today's formal dissemination.