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Marshall Islands struggles with TB, leprosy control
From MARIANAS VARIETY
News
Wed 10 Apr 2013
MAJURO, Marshall Islands ---- The Marshall Islands continues to struggle in its effort to reduce high rates of tuberculosis and Hansen?s Disease.
A Ministry of Health quarterly report released at the end of last week indicates TB screenings are discovering about 100 new cases a year on top of ongoing cases under treatment.
The World Health Organization ranks the Marshall Islands as having the ninth highest TB rate globally and the highest in the Pacific, with a rate of 536 cases per 100,000 people. Seven of the top-eight are African nations. Kiribati is next highest with a TB rate of 356. Papua New Guinea is listed by WHO as having a rate of 346, the Federated States has 200, and Palau 153 per 100,000 population.
Hansen?s Disease, better known as ?leprosy,? has been eradicated in many countries of the world. But the WHO says that Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands have been unable to meet the target of lowering the number of cases to fewer than one per 10,000 people ? WHO?s definition of leprosy elimination.
As of December 31, 165 people were being treated for leprosy in the Marshalls, giving the country a rate of 31 per 10,000 people ? more than 30 times the WHO target for eradication. Since this reflects only the patients who have been identified on a few islands, the incidence rate of leprosy is likely much higher...
Marshall Islands struggles with TB, leprosy control
From MARIANAS VARIETY
News
Wed 10 Apr 2013
MAJURO, Marshall Islands ---- The Marshall Islands continues to struggle in its effort to reduce high rates of tuberculosis and Hansen?s Disease.
A Ministry of Health quarterly report released at the end of last week indicates TB screenings are discovering about 100 new cases a year on top of ongoing cases under treatment.
The World Health Organization ranks the Marshall Islands as having the ninth highest TB rate globally and the highest in the Pacific, with a rate of 536 cases per 100,000 people. Seven of the top-eight are African nations. Kiribati is next highest with a TB rate of 356. Papua New Guinea is listed by WHO as having a rate of 346, the Federated States has 200, and Palau 153 per 100,000 population.
Hansen?s Disease, better known as ?leprosy,? has been eradicated in many countries of the world. But the WHO says that Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands have been unable to meet the target of lowering the number of cases to fewer than one per 10,000 people ? WHO?s definition of leprosy elimination.
As of December 31, 165 people were being treated for leprosy in the Marshalls, giving the country a rate of 31 per 10,000 people ? more than 30 times the WHO target for eradication. Since this reflects only the patients who have been identified on a few islands, the incidence rate of leprosy is likely much higher...