Global Health: Analysis of Tuberculosis Prevalence Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of tuberculosis (TB) prevalence, focusing on the global health context, with a particular emphasis on South Africa. It begins with an introduction to TB as a contagious and potentially fatal disease, highlighting the concept of health equity as a defining objective in global health. The main body of the report delves into the national and regional burden of TB, emphasizing the high incidence rates in South Africa and its neighboring countries. The report examines the government's policy analysis, including expenditure on monitoring, prevention, and treatment, as well as the strategies adopted, such as data collection, healthcare professional training, and communication campaigns. Outbreaks are also discussed, with a focus on seasonal patterns. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and reiterating the severity of TB as a global health challenge, particularly in South Africa, and emphasizes the measures taken by the government to combat the disease.

DEBATE THE
STATEMENT
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
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INTRODUCTION
Tuberculosis is basically one of the most contagious disease which often affects lungs
and thus is one of the fatal transmittable disease. The main purpose of this report is to study the
prevalence of Tuberculosis in different parts of world especially South Africa where the
incidence of TB are at peak. This report basically gives a brief about Equity which is defining
objective of the global health.
MAIN BODY
Equity in health terms is basically the concept which stresses upon treating all the
individuals equally for their medical diseases and thus tells that each and every individual have
the right to be remain free from any kind of infectious diseases that impacts their health seriously
(Naidoo and et.al., 2017). Equity is majorly absence of any avoidable as well as remediable
differences among the group of individuals whether groups are socially, economically or
demographically defined. Equity is basically the defining objective within global health in 21sty
century and forms the ethical principle. It is closely related with the principles of human rights.
According to WHO, not healthcare centers are allowed to differentiate patients on the level of
class to which they belongs. Equity in the global health mainly supports operationalisation of
various rights to be attainable health standards as told by health status of large number of socially
advantaged people (Osman and et.al.,2017). Ana lasing the health equity in global context
requires some health as well as social determinants between less and more advantaged social
groups. The concept of equity is one of the major defining objective in global health because
each and every individual have the right to get the proper treatment and thus WHO suggests the
healthcare professionals to make use of equal means and methods fro improving the health of
wider population.
National burden of TB
Tuberculosis is considered as one of the most infectious disease which affects the health
of wide range of individual not locally or regionally but nationally. This has become one of the
most dangerous and the infectious disease which is fatal and thus have lead to the death of wide
range of people (Shah and et.al.,2017). As revealed by the data of 2015, die to the outbreak of
TB in the various countries, there has been the death of individual of around 40000. The main
cause of TB which affects people nationally is the presence of some bacteria which spreads from
persons to person and thus makes it a transmittable disease. The burden of the disease mainly
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quantifies morbidity as well as mortality because of the particular disease as well as risk factor
(Azeez and et.al.,2016). As per the given report of health and administration, the spread of TB
has increased from 32.1% to more than 62.5% from year 2015 to 2018 and mainly affects the
people who live in the backward areas. As per the report of 2018, The emergence of TB has been
reported more in the older generation and the youth who does not get the basic necessities of life
and mainly belongs to the backward classes. The world health organization after investigation
found the contribution of various risk factors like malnutrition, smoking etc (Kigozi and
et.al.,2017).
Regional burden of TB
TB along with affecting the wide range of people nationally has also affected the people
of South Africa to a great extent. Besides this, the neighboring countries has also been affected
due to the outbreak of this fatal disease. In 2016, several regions of South Africa has been
reported to be under the threat of TB and thus has lead to the death of many people. At the
regional level, the highest ratio of observed-to-expected as reported in Southern sub-Saharan
Africa was around 13.7 for the incidence and 14.9 for the mortality. The lowest ratio were found
to be in high-income South Africans (Sinanovic and et.al.,2015). Thus, the burden of TB at the
regional level is more in comparison to the national level. In the neighboring countries of South
Africa like Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, the outbreak of Tb has been reported to kill more than
20% of the localities that were residing in the backward areas of cities and towns. In comparison
to these countries, the ration of TB in South Africa raised from 32.1% to more than 72.9% as per
the report of world heath organization. This has increased the mortality rate in South Africa and
thus has posed an immense burden on its government to bring the various strategies for
monitoring its cause and thus overcome its spread. This has compelled the government to spend
a huge amount on surveillance and reviewing of TB and thus bringing cure for this disease
through advance technology (Sommerland and et.al.,2017).
Policy analysis
Expenditure on monitoring and prevention
In order to monitor and preventing the fatal disease TB, the government of South Africa
has spent a huge amount of money which basically forms the major part of the cure of this
disease. In 2017, the government of South Africa took the support of Global TB program and
thus came out with the various innovative methods for curing the disease (Kvasnovsky, Cegielski
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and van der Walt, 2016). This program contributed a wide range of health planners as well as the
policy-makers which ere able to explore the root cause of TB and thus design the policy for
implementing cure. The government after the proper analyses found that the total expenditure
that would be incurred for the various TB programs from the period 2017 to 2021 would be
around $1.7 billion and in order to spend such heavy amount, government took the help of
citizens and various organizations (Ismail and et.al.,2018). For example the government of
South Africa developed an estimate that around 8.6 million develops TB every year and out of
these more than 1.3 million dies due to improper treatment and cure (Walaza and et.al.,2015). In
2017, around more than 400000 cases were found to be reported of TB both nationally and
regionally and approximately 20% cost the patient incurs for its treatment. Thus, for the proper
monitoring and prevention of this disease, the government spends a huge amount of money on
the treatment of patients. Besides this, South Africa government also came out with various
interventions for treating the patients suffering from TB and as per the report of 2016, they spent
more than 40% of the average GDP on these interventions (Fenner and et.al.,2017).
Strategies adopted
After the analysis of spending, the government of South Africa took various measures for
implementing the various TB policies and making the use of this expenditure. South Africa
government in coordination with national TB Surveillance system started to collect the various
data and information on the TB cases which gave them the overview of the effectiveness of TB
program. In cooperation with state as well as local health division, this program was undertaken
for preventing this transmissible disease. Along with the efficient TB program, government of
South Africa developed a well-through policy for the training and development of different
healthcare professionals (Vassall and et.al.,2017). There were various programs which were
undertaken for the capacity building of healthcare professionals and making them aware of the
various methods for curing TB. As per the world health organizations, Healthcare professionals
forms the first and foremost entity which the patients consult for their diseases thus making them
qualified and knowledgeable is highly essential. The healthcare professional were provided
training on various TB interventions and the different standards in medical and it was build for
building their self-efficacy, skills, knowledge regarding TB (Streicher and et.al.,2015).
Another most important step taken by South Africa government towards the prevention
of TB is effective communication as well as technological advancements (Smith and et.al.,2016).
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In 2016, local as well as regional government of South Africa started a program of TB by the
name “Stop TB” in order to make the people ares of harmful effects of this disease and how it
can be prevented. This campaign was run for a large period of time especially to educate the
backward classes. Besides this, government also established various education centers at
different places especially for the under privileged people who suffer from TB the most in order
to make them a ware of this harmful disease and educate them (Malotle and et.al.,2017).
Outbreaks
According to Kanabus., Annabel (2019) As per the report of world health organization,
the outbreak of TB is seasonal and thus occurs the most from season to season. According to the
data of 2017 by health and administration, the mortality rate in accordance with TB is basically
high during the winter season as well as early spring in comparison to other years. As the main
causing factor of TB is the harmful bacteria Mycobacterium Tuberculosis thus, this bacteria
proliferates and multiplies itself during the season and thus enter the environment. As per WHO,
the statistic collected shows that there has been an estimate incidence of around 32200 cases due
to TB in South Africa and this was between strength and ending of the winter season. The
incidence of TB has been reported highest in South Africa in the year 2015 and 2017 and most of
these cases occurred in the winter season as well as early spring. It has been reported that the
cases of TB remains low during summer season due to less ability of the bacteria to proliferate.
In South Africa, TB spread at much rapid pace that it become the epidemic proportions and thus
results in the death of large number of people. As reveled by WHO, the mortality rate in South
Africa due to tuberculosis has eventually increased from 42.1% to more than 64.8% and thus
every year nearly 80000 people die out of the most fatal Black TB in South Africa which shows
a drastic change in the population rate.
CONCLUSION
It has been summarized that TB has become one of the most fatal disease which is
spreading across the world rapidly and thus resulting in the death of large number of people. The
most affected areas which has been under threat from past few years is South Africa where the
morality rate due to prevalence of TB has increased to an immense rate. Thus, for preventing this
disease, the government of South Africa has taken various measures and thus spent a huge
amount for destroying it.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
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Fenner, L and et.al.,2017. HIV viral load as an independent risk factor for tuberculosis in South
Africa: collaborative analysis of cohort studies. Journal of the International AIDS
Society.20(1). p.21327.
Ismail, N.A and et.al.,2018. Prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis and imputed burden in
South Africa: a national and sub-national cross-sectional survey. The Lancet Infectious
Diseases.18(7). pp.779-787.
Kanabus, Annabel, 2019.“Information about Tuberculosis”, GHE
Kigozi, G and et.al.,2017. Factors influencing treatment default among tuberculosis patients in a
high burden province of South Africa. International Journal of Infectious
Diseases.54.pp.95-102.
Kvasnovsky, C.L., Cegielski, J.P. and van der Walt, M.L., 2016. Treatment outcomes for patients
with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces,
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methodological challenges. The Journal of infectious diseases.216(suppl_7).pp.S702-
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Osman, M and et.al.,2017. Excellent treatment outcomes in children treated for tuberculosis
under routine operational conditions in Cape Town, South Africa. Clinical Infectious
Diseases.65(9). pp.1444-1452.
Shah, N.S and et.al.,2017. Transmission of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in South
Africa. New England Journal of Medicine.376(3). pp.243-253.
Sinanovic, E and et.al.,2015. Impact of reduced hospitalisation on the cost of treatment for drug-
resistant tuberculosis in South Africa. The international journal of tuberculosis and lung
disease.19(2). pp.172-178.
Smith, A and et.al.,2016. Health care workers' gender bias in testing could contribute to missed
tuberculosis among women in South Africa. The international journal of tuberculosis
and lung disease.20(3). pp.350-356.
Sommerland, N and et.al.,2017. Stigma as a barrier to the use of occupational health units for
tuberculosis services in South Africa. The International Journal of Tuberculosis and
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Streicher, E.M and et.al.,2015. Molecular epidemiological interpretation of the epidemic of
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microbiology.53(11). pp.3650-3653.
Vassall, A and et.al.,2017. Cost-effectiveness of Xpert MTB/RIF for tuberculosis diagnosis in
South Africa: a real-world cost analysis and economic evaluation. The Lancet Global
Health.5(7). pp.e710-e719.
Walaza, S and et.al.,2015. Excess mortality associated with influenza among tuberculosis deaths
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Online
History of TB in South Africa. 2019. [Online] Available Through: <https://tbfacts.org/history-tb-
south-africa/>
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