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SD has highest infection rate

23/04/2009 00:00:00 Arthur Mordaunt

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EZULWINI – Swaziland has the highest Tuberculosis (TB) infection rate in the world.
So bad is the situation that the sickness is the leading cause for mortality rate in adults in Swaziland which kills 50 per cent of HIV positive patients in the kingdom.

It further accounts for more 25 per cent of all admissions in the country’s hospitals, as well as 20 deaths of all deaths in Swaziland’s health facilities.

The harrowing details have been revealed by Themba Dlamini, the National TB Control Programme Manager.
He was briefing Parlia-mentarians on the situation during a sensitising workshop for legislators held at the Royal Swazi Sun Convention Centre at Ezulwini Valley. The workshop ends today.

Dlamini disclosed that the detection rate for TB was 57 per cent, yet the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended 70 per cent. The country also does not fare well in terms of treatment rate, as only 42 per cent of the detected cases are treated instead of the 85 per cent recommended by WHO.

Defaulting

The Programme Manager attributed the low percentage in treatment to defaulting patients. He revealed that some patients defaulted their treatment due to the length of the treatment process.
Dlamini stated, for instance, that the shortest time treatment can take was six months and sometimes it could take as long as 24 months.

He also revealed that the country has experienced four cases of the extreme drug resistant (XDR) TB. Four of those patients died, while two are currently undergoing treatment. Although the sickness seems to be evenly spread across the kingdom, the Shiselweni region has a higher infection rate.
Despite the seemingly negative situation, the TB programme has achieved some positive results.
These, according to Dlamini, include strategic plans, policy documents, technical assist-ance as well as community involvement in the fight against TB.

Challenges faced by the National TB Control Programme include the shortage of staff, constraints in the drug procurement system and the lack of proper training for people who administer drugs to TB patients at community level.