While overall TB rates are gradually declining worldwide, they continue to rise in some countries. Our country is one of the world leaders in TB rates, particularly with multidrug resistance, which is resistant to some of the most effective anti-TB drugs. In 2023, compared to 2022, the number of tuberculosis patients in the Kharkiv region increased more than one and a half timesand in Kharkiv – almost twice as much.
Tuberculosis – is an infectious disease caused by mycobacterium (Latin: Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Tuberculosis mainly affects the lungs, but it can also affect all other human organs. It is an infectious disease that can be caught when sneezing, coughing, singing or talking to a sick person. This is when infectious particles from the lower respiratory tract enter the air. Tuberculosis can be contracted anywhere and not necessarily as a result of direct contact with a sick person.
Each person who has tuberculosis infects 20-30 people from their environment per year. People of all ages and genders are affected by tuberculosis. The causative agent of the disease does not distinguish between social status and affects the poor and the wealthy with equal force. The causative agent of tuberculosis is characterized by high resistance to the influence of environmental factors; in dried sputum and on various objects it can remain viable for up to eight months. This makes it possible to transmit the disease through contact and household transmission through dishes, linen, and shared objects. Since animals also get tuberculosis, infection is possible when consuming unboiled milk, uncooked meat, eggs, and when caring for sick animals.
The increase in the number of patients is closely associated with war. War, stress, migration processes, staying in basements and damp premises, a long stay in the subway of a large number of people (if we take Kharkiv). All this affects the decrease in human immunity. In regions affected by active hostilities, people suffer from food shortages, chronic stress, and do not have access to basic medical services. A significant number of patients with tuberculosis are unable to continue treatment due to difficulties in visiting a medical facility, changing their place of residence, or restrictions in the work of the anti-tuberculosis service. A break in treatment in these patients led to the progression of the disease and the restoration of their contagiousness (infectiousness). All these conditions in which our citizens were, unfortunately, led to an increase in tuberculosis rates.
The actual prevalence of tuberculosis in Ukraine already exceeds 0.51% of the population of Ukraine and, as demonstrated by epidemiological surveillance data after World Wars I and II, will increase in the coming years.
How can tuberculosis be prevented?
There is no single method of protection. Official advice concerns hygiene measures in rooms where many people gather. There should be wet cleaning and good ventilation.
People are advised to be alert to the symptoms of tuberculosis – a prolonged slightly elevated temperature (370C), cough and night sweats. It is also worth getting tested if you have been in close contact with someone who is sick.
Vaccination is imperfect, but it protects children and helps adults resist infection. HIV prevention and early detection of this virus significantly increase the chance of not getting tuberculosis.
Nutritional quality can also affect the body's ability to resist tuberculosis. A lack of vitamins A and D significantly increases the development of the disease.
The majority of the Ukrainian population is still unaware of the risks of infection. Therefore, the most important tool for combating the spread of tuberculosis in wartime remains information work.
Tuberculosis is curable, the main thing is to detect the disease in time, consult a family doctor, and follow the treatment procedure.
In Ukraine, tuberculosis is treated according to modern standards of medical care, which are based on evidence and meet the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Special anti-tuberculosis drugs are available to patients. Treatment can be outpatient or inpatient, and treatment once started should not be interrupted under any circumstances.. Medications for the treatment of this disease are free in Ukraine. Treatment will be faster and easier if you start taking the prescribed medications on time and regularly, and follow all the doctor's recommendations.
Take care of your health, the health of your family, loved ones and the people around you, be attentive and careful!