Malawi is one of the African countries doing very well is towards achieving the elimination of Tuberculosis by 2030.
This was disclosed on Monday during a meeting of National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Program (NTLEP) officials with the faith leaders.
Speaking to Malawi24 TB & HIV Monitoring Evaluation Officer at NTLEP Henry Kanyerere said in terms of elimination of TB, Malawi is doing very well and death rate of TB has been reduced from 10.3 to 7.3 and this is an indication that the country is towards achieving the elimination of TB by 2030
“For 2022, we notified 18300 TB cases up from 14300 TB cases in 2021 so we have seen an increase in terms of TB notifications. But for treatment we are doing very fine, we are at 90 % treatment success rate as a country. We have also reduced death rate among those patients whom we have notified with TB because our death rate around 2013 it was 10.3 it and has come down to 7.3.,” said Kanyerere.
Kanyerere further noted that the death rate of multi-drug TB has come down and the treatment success rate has increased because of improved management of these cases.
He said the cases are being detected early and patients are put on effective treatment early and they are also monitoring them when they are on treatment. So management of these patients have greatly improved in the country.
Kanyerere also disclosed that NTLEP has procured some mobile vans that are going to be stationed in the borders to increase screening of TB among the people coming in the country and also going out of the country.
“They are about six if am not mistaken but I am yet to verify, the main aim for these mobile diagnostic units or mobile vans is to increase TB screening among those people who are crossing the borders. Our objective is to make sure that people who are coming into the country or people who are going out of the country are also screened for TB and those that have been found with TB they are put on treatment and they are also reported in the country.
“So we think in each and every border the main borders in the country we should have one mobile van,” explained Kanyerere.
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