PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. Godfrey Xuereb delivering remarks at the Tuberculosis Management Update Meeting yesterday at the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa.

PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. Godfrey Xuereb delivering remarks at the Tuberculosis Management Update Meeting yesterday at the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa.

Thirty tuberculosis cases reported over last decade

Fri, 03/25/2016 - 12:00am

By:

Patricia Thangaraj

There have been 30 tuberculosis cases in Barbados over the last ten years.

This was revealed by the Minister of Health, John Boyce who delivered opening remarks at the Tuberculosis Management Update Meeting, which was held yesterday at the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa.

He said that although this burden is low compared to other countries, this is all subject to change if aspects of our TB control programme were to deteriorate.

“In the last ten years, from 2006 to 2015, we have had in Barbados, 30 tuberculosis cases, an average of some four cases per year. However, zero cases of tuberculosis were detected in 2015. Our tuberculosis disease burden is very low. But this could change ... hence the importance of these sessions,” it was explained.

Furthermore, this island has made important inroads when it comes to controlling TB cases, but as long as this disease remains a major health concern across the world, health stakeholders here must remain cautious with their surveillance and management programmes.

“Barbados has made significant progress in its TB response. However, as long as TB remains a major public health problem of global proportions, we must remain vigilant through disease surveillance and aggressive management of TB cases to prevent onward transmission.”

It is recognition of this fact that they have strengthened their laboratory services. “It must be stated also that we have augmented our laboratory capacity to conduct advanced TB diagnostics. With the coming on stream of our new Barbados Reference Laboratory… which is currently under construction at Enmore, services would be available not only to Barbados, but to service providers in the other countries in our region. The new laboratory has been made possible by a joint venture by the United States Government through the Centre for Disease Control and the Government of Barbados.”

The Minister of Health stated that Barbados has an extensive TB prevention and control programme. “In Barbados, we have a comprehensive national TB prevention and control programme comprising (of) key elements from primary health care, laboratory services and the HIV Programme and tertiary care.”

They also ensure that health care staff are trained in detection and treatment to control infectious TB patients, he said.

“Recognising the public health importance, case detection and treatment to control infectious TB patients, the Ministry of Health has been training health care providers and other health care professionals in various aspects of tuberculosis management. This workshop today – on World TB Day – has a two-fold purpose. One is to increase public awareness of this disease and secondly, to train health care providers.”

Thirty tuberculosis cases reported over last decade

Barbados Advocate

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