Deaths from TB high due to late treatment

KUALA LUMPUR: Tuberculosis (TB) claims about 1,500 to 2,000 lives annually in Malaysia, with an average of six deaths occurring every day.

Head of TB/Leprosy sector at the Health Ministry’s Disease Control Division, Dr Mohamed Naim Abdul Kadir, who revealed these statistics, said about 20,000 to 25,000 new TB cases are recorded in Malaysia every year. He said many cases are caused mainly by delay in seeking medical treatment.

He described the situation as worrying, as public awareness on TB and Mycobacterium tuberculosis – the bacteria that causes the highly infectious disease – is low.

He added the transmission of TB is still active in Malaysia even with various treatment regimes introduced and improved case detection.

In 2018, 5,071 new TB cases were recorded in Selangor, 5,008 in Sabah, 3,122 in Sarawak, 2,150 in Johor and 2,017 in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

Mohamed Naim said the high incidence of TB in Selangor was due to high population density, especially in urban areas populated by people in the lower socioeconomic bracket. TB’s prevalence in Sabah was due to the presence of illegal immigrants who do not seek treatment for fear that they may be apprehended by the authorities.

On the whole, the number of new

TB cases nationwide declined to 25,837 in 2018 from 26,168 cases the previous year, but in 2019, an increase was noticed and the doctor expects a 5% rise in new cases this year, with a hike in the death rate among TB patients.

He stressed that early detection is crucial in preventing deaths and that TB patients can recover by adhering to a prescribed treatment schedule. – Bernama